The Captain and I
by Dearing
Summary: Daniel’s life was a mess. Drunk mother, and a father that was nowhere to be found.Until one night, he comes across a certain treasure map.After that, his life is never the same again.please R&R, I would really like that
1. Prologue: Etherium Nights

**READ THIS FIRST!**

Trust me, you DO want to read this before you read this fic.

First Off: DISCLAIMER I don't own Treasure Planet, it's characters, plot etc. I DO own the character Daniel Dearing, and the other characters I'll leave you to figure out. you want to use him (Doubtful I know but just case) please ask me first and tell people where you got him.

Secondly: **NO FLAMES!!!** Please, I spent a lot of my free time on this fic, so don't flame it or say how unrealistic it is, or so and so is out of character. I've tried my best to represent Disney's characters, but I'm not an Disney writer and they're not my characters, so if they go out of character I'm sorry.

Thirdly: I **KNOW** I used my own name, but I was stuck for new names at the time.The character ONLY HAS MY NAME. I made him look totally differnt from me.

Fourthly: people who like Doppler/Amelia**. DO NOT READ THIS FIC!!!** This fic is a Amelia/OC (three guess who.) I know that Doppler got the Captain in the film, but I see loads and loads of jim/OC and I've even seen a Doppler/OC so why can't there be ant Amelia/OC?

And Fifthly: Enjoy it! I tried my best to get as close to the original script as I could, and though it goes out slightly in some places, it's quite accurate.

Well, that's all folks, scroll down and beginning reading. I'll be downloading a new chapter everyday, if I can.

I hope you enjoy this fic.

Dearing

**PROLOGUE**

**ETHERIUM NIGHTS**

On the clearest of nights, when the winds of the Etherium were calm and peaceful, the great merchant ships with their cargos of Arcturian solar crystals, felt safe and secure.

Little did they suspect that they were pursued by...pirates!

And the most feared of all these pirates, was the notorious Captain Nathaniel Flint.

Like a Candarian Zap-wing overtaking it's prey, Flint and his band of renegades, swooped in, out of nowhere. And then, gathering up their spoils...vanished...without a trace.

Flints secret trove was never found, but stories have persisted, that is remains hidden, somewhere, at the farthest reaches of the galaxy.

Stowed with riches beyond the imagination...

The loot, of a thousand worlds:

Treasure Planet.


	2. Chapter 1: How It All Began

**CHAPTER 1**

**HOW IT ALL BEGAN**

I sighed to myself as the rain began to pour down on me on my way home from Collage. Another day, another person bullying me into doing their homework for them.

My name is Daniel Dearing, or Dan for short. I guess you could call me a bit of a geek. I was roughly about 5"10 in height, with a mess of dark brown hair, as well as a pair of thin glasses to boot. I wasn't particularly strong, more lanky than anything else. I had recently turned 20, only staying on collage because I couldn't get the resources I wanted anywhere else.

I lived in the heart of Dorset countryside, practically in the middle of nowhere.

My mother ran a small Bar, called the Kings Ransom. My good for nothing Father had left her for another women, leaving me with a mother who was drunk most of the time and in bed with a hangover for the rest of it. How the inn managed to cope was beyond me. I guess it was mostly thanks to me. I would do my best to study during the day, during the night however, you could usually find me at the bar. Serving drinks when needs be, and reading a book under the bar whenever the people gave me a chance.

As I slumped through the door, I noticed the Bar was unusually quiet, only a few sparse people in the corner, my mother behind the bar, drinking deeply from a wine glass.

When she caught sight of me, she slammed down her glass on the bar, giving me an evil look.

"Where have you been boy? You should have been home hours ago! The bar don't run itself, you know!"

I sighed and slumped upstairs, "Sorry," I mumbled, "I had to go to the opticians in the next town, someone broke the lens of my glasses."  
"The Hell they did!" She screeched, grabbing the nearby wine bottle and sloshing more wine into her glass, "I bet you broke it yourself to get out of working! And where do you think your going?"

"I need to change," I said quietly, dragging my bag behind me, "In case you hadn't noticed, I'm soaking wet."

"You get back her Daniel Kennedy Dearing! I can't run this bar in...hic...my state."

"I won't be a minute," I muttered mutinously, and before she could retort I had slammed the door shut.

I sighed as I leaned against the back of my door. It was true, someone had broken my glasses, but the kindly people at the Opticians could do nothing for them, and so I had left, the large crack still evident in the lens.

I changed slowly into a pair of plain grey trousers, along with a white polo shirt and black jacket.

As soon as I had changed I slowly trumped down the stairs and behind the bar, only to find my mother, unconscious, the wine bottle dripping all over the floor.

"_I hate my life_" I thought to my self as I took out a mop and began to carefully mop up the dark liquor around my mother, before carefully leaning on the bar and taking out my favourite book, Treasure Island.

I loved the story with all my heart. The story of how young Jim Hawkins was given a map to Captain Flints Trove. How he boarded a ship to find it, and befriended Long John Silver, only to be betrayed by him, and so on.

I read page after page, seeing no one had come up to order another drink since my mother had passed out. After about quarter of an hour however, she woke up.

I was far to engrossed in Treasure Island to realise, in fact it was only when she grabbed it out of my hands did I realise she was awake.

"What's this hunk of rubbish?" she slurred out, flicking through various pages.

"Give that back mother it's mine," I said as calmly as I could.

"Why are you reading such trash? Why don't you read magazines like anyone else you age? You shouldn't be reading shit like this."

And before my very eyes, she began tearing up the book in front of my very eyes.

"Hey stop that, that was a present!" I practically wailed. My Optician had given me the book for my fourteenth birthday, seeing my mother had forgotten and the rest of my relations were either dead or didn't want to know. The Optician had always been very kind to me, bending the rules to get me new glasses when he could, and sometimes giving me money to help me through my miserable life.

"Rubbish," she retorted, "who would want to give _you _anything for _your _birthday?"

I was furious. That book had been my favourite.

With out farther warning I stomped out of the bar, grabbing my wax jacket as I went by it.

"Where do you think your going?" My mother practically screamed at me, "Get back here, NOW!!!"

As I opened the door I glared back at my mother, my eyes full of malice.

"Make me," I said quietly, before walking out into the pouring rain.


	3. Chapter 2: First Contact, and Escape

**CHAPTER 2**

**FIRST CONTACT AND ESCAPE**

The weather was dreadful for that time of year. The sky was pitch black, save for the forks of lightning that pierced the sky. I just kept walking. I didn't care were my legs took me, just as long as it was away from the Bar. I just kept walking, until I found myself in front of a sheltered bus stop, a bright light shining from its roof.

I slumped down on the bench, and held my head in my hands. I just felt like crying. My mother had ripped up my favourite book. I was really upset. How would I break it to the Optician? I leaned back against the bench and sighed once again.

"I wish I could have an adventure like in Treasure Island," I said aloud, "Finding a map, searching for treasure. It would be fantastic. Maybe I might find a cute girl who would like me for who I am. But what are the chances of that?"

It was at that time that everything started to happen.

Suddenly, out of the sky, there came a large bang! At first I thought it was the thunder, but then, barely five seconds after the sound, a large streak of red shot out of the clouds above, before hitting the road in front of me.

I stared at what had the impact place, where a small crater now was. After another second, something fell out of the sky and shattered through the glass roof of the shelter pitting me in darkness as I drove out of the way.

I looked up from the place were I fell, squinting in the darkness to see the remains of the shelter.

A flash of lightning briefly lit up the scene, and I had to double check to make sure I wasn't seeing things.

It was what appeared to be part of a sail, attached to a broken hunk of metal that could have been a mast. But what was a mast doing in the middle of Dorset? The nearest ocean was miles away.

Above me I suddenly heard a sound that kinda sounded like a plane over head, only the engine was stuttering.

I looked up just as a flash of lightning shot across the sky.

In the bright moment of light, I managed to catch the outline of a circular pod, with several odd staffs of metal, with pieces of cloth hanging raggedly around them. It kinda looked like a ship, with masts and sails, and it was coming down fast.

My first thought was it was some kind of Military plane, perhaps a secret development project by the Royal Navy, they had an Airbase not far from here after all.

As the ship made it's final decent, small landing pads jutted out at odd angles, causing it to dip slightly and lean on the main mast that produced from the front.

There was an eerie silences after the ship powered down, the pitter patter of rain drops on it's metal surface.

Slowly and carefully, I made my way to the ship, being careful in case anything else decided it wanted to fall from the sky.

On the side of the pod was a glass dome, slightly tinted, allowing me to see absolutely nothing of the inside.

I bit my lower lip, unsure of what to do.

Slowly I reached up to the glass dome and knocked lightly.

"Um, hello? Is anyone in there? If there is, do you need help?"

What followed, surprised me even more than the ships landing.

Out of the gloom of the dome, a large, green, scaly, three four hand suddenly pounded against the glass, causing me to jump back several feet.

As I did so, the glass dome popped open upwards, causing the owner of hand to fall out of the contraption, a large chest coming out after him.

My first impression was a turtle, a very large turtle. Roughly my size, though hunched over. He was wearing a blue overcoat, a red shirt buttoned up the front and a large pair of britches on his lower half. On top of his aged looking head sat a hat that wouldn't have looked out of place on the head of a captain of an old navy vessel, and looked rather interesting perched on this turtle-like beings head.

My first thought was to ask if he was ok, for the poor...

thing was coughing and spluttering like the engine of his ship had a few moments before. Before I could say anything though, the Turtle had grabbed me round the coat and was now nearly nose to nose with me.

"He's a comin' " he muttered looking at the skies, "Can you 'ear 'im? Those gears and gyros clicking and whirring like the Devil 'imself?" as he said this his neck extended father and father making me lean father back to avoid him. After he finished speaking he let me go and went to pick up his chest.

"Err, are you ok sir? Do you need to see a..." I trailed off. What did a Turtle who could speak English need to see? A doctor? A Vet? A guy from the Sea-life centre? I didn't know, but the Turtle Alien was talking again.

"'E's after me chest," he wheezed as he slung the big box onto his stubby shoulder, "That fiendish Cyborg, and his band of cutthroats! But 'e'll have to pry it out of Billy Bone's cold, dead fingers before I..." But he didn't finish his sentence as another series of coughing fits overcame him, forcing him onto the wet pavement and dropping the chest.

A stood there helplessly, a lot of things going through my mind. The first was that the only logical explanation was either this was a Alien or a genetic experiment, or I had really lost it.

Seeing I knew I didn't feel like I had lost it, it was either a new form of life, or a genetic experiment. But why would a genetic experiment be flying a funny looking ship like the one he was flying? It had to be a alien, just had to be.

The second thing that startled me was that the Alien had called himself 'Billy Bones.' I suddenly realised that he had the same name as the sailor in Treasure Island. In fact, now that I looked at it, He was dressed as like a sailor, only he was a turtle...sort of.

Bones was beginning to get more silent. Worrying that he might be dead, I crouched down beside him to see if he was alright.

He was still breathing, thank goodness, but his breaths were getting more and more ragged.

"Me...Me Chest Lad," He managed to get out, reaching out for the box, which actually reminded me of a sea chest.

With out hesitation, I gently pushed the chest towards him. He gave a small sigh of relief, before tapping a 3 digit code into the lock.

The chest buzzed, before the lock clicked and opened. I peered inside, but saw nothing, save for a small sphere, wrapped in cloth.

"They'll be comin' soon. Can't let 'im have this," He mumbled to himself as he held the sphere close to him.

"Who?" I asked, confused, "Who's coming?"

He grabbed me round the shirt again and brought his wrinkled face up to my ear, pushing the sphere into my hands as he did so.

"The Cyborg," he whispered, "Beware...The Cyborg."

My eyes widened as I felt the last of his breath against my face, and let him fall back to the ground. His last words sent shivers down my spine. Quickly I pocketed the sphere and gazed down and Billy Bones. I couldn't just leave him here, what if the Authorities found him?

Biting my lip, I quickly started to drag the dead Alien into a nearby bush, covering him up as best I could. With any luck, nature would take it's course and his body would hopefully never be found. I know it wasn't the nicest thing to do, but how could I explain to the police a dead Turtle Alien away?

Once I had done this, I said a silent prayer for him before heading back to where his old ship stood.

"What am I going to do with you?" I asked myself as I sifted through my wet hair, which was plastered to my skull. I couldn't exactly move the Ship as I had done with Bones. He had been heavy, and his ship was no doubt heavier still.

Suddenly I heard another sound, a sound that made the colour drain from my face. It was a sound like the One Bones' ship had made, only much stronger. I looked up in fear as I saw the ship that had no doubt brought Bones to Earth.

It looked bulky enough, but I couldn't really make out the size of it against the dark. The one thing I did see however was a large menacing looking cannon, that would have looked better in a Star Wars movie.

Without thinking much, I quickly made sure the Sphere was safely in my pocket before making a jump for Bone' ship, the glass Dome of door slamming shut behind me.

Inside was roomy, though it must have been cramped for Billy Bones. It was lit by a deep red coming from behind the small console in front of me. There were four windows in total I realised, three large ones on the front and sides, and a smaller one half the size at the back, the large dome on the left doubling as a door.

A looked down at the console, running my hands through my soaked hair as I did so.

The controls were simple enough, there were four buttons on left side, and two leavers on the right. In the middle was a kind of steering wheel. I had only recently taking my driving test, and passed with flying colours I might add, but this was entirely different.

As I tried to figure out how to work this thing, I stole a quick glance out of the door window. Outside the lightning lit up a group of a variety of different shapes. The most obvious one appeared to lead them appeared human, but looked like he was a bit overweight, but that wasn't what was worrying me. The thing that was worrying me was the giant silver cannon that appeared to be attached to his arm.

I could feel the sweat beading down my face as I tried to figure out how to fly the ship.

Out of the four buttons, a large red one stood rather predominantly out from the rest.

"Well, I guess it couldn't hurt to press a few buttons," I said to myself, and almost immediately punched it.

"Ignition standby," a mechanical voice intoned. There was the sound of the engine spluttering for a few moments, then suddenly roared to life. I gently felt the ship begin to rise beneath me and the landing pads retract. I also began to hear a furious shouts of the men below me.

Without thing I pressed the Blue button below the one I had already pressed.

I heard an audible groan and knew that something had just dropped beneath me.

"Laser Cannon enabled," The voice called out.

"_Laser Cannon?_" I thought to my self. Feeling inquisitive, I then pressed the yellow button on the right of the original, allowing a small joystick to pop out below the buttons.

"Manual control, Enabled,"

Finally I pushed the orange button on the left of the original.

A small compartment popped open in the floor, and a small box shot up to my eyelevel.

"Targeting computer, Enabled,"

Feeling a bit silly, I slowly looked into the box.

To my surprise, I could see almost everything, seeing everything had gone a distinct orange colour. As I twisted the joystick, the camera did the same.

A sudden thought came to me. These must be people looking for Billy Bones. Maybe they want his body!

Quickly as I could I spun the little control stick over to the bushes where I had laid the old Alien to rest. I aimed the Camera as best as a could, then pressed the button on top of the joystick. Almost immediately there came the sound of the powering up of something, then the whole ship seemed to rock as a bright red blast seemed to emanate from below the camera. In an instant the bushes exploded in a billion shades of yellow and red.

Hoping that it would burn Bones' Body, as well distract the men.

I didn't bother to see if they had seen it or not, I just quickly pressed the three buttons to retract their respective components, before turning to the two levers and the steering wheel.

Hoping I was doing the right thing, I gently clasped the wheel in my left hand, and gently tested the lever nearest me. As I gently pushed it upwards, I began to feel the ship rise with it.

"_I guess that control's the pitch,_" I mused to myself. I eyed the second leaver with curiosity.

"And I guess that one must me the accelerator," I mused. I quickly glanced down at the scene below me. The bush was now entire alight, although it was going out from the rain. The things below me appeared to be a mess, but the Bulky figure seemed to be pointing his great Silver cannon at me. I panicked and quickly hit the leaver to full.

The effect was immediate. I was suddenly thrown into my seat as the ship launched forward and upward, out towards deep space.

As I soared higher and higher, I looked out of the back window, to see England become nothing more than a tiny spot in a sea of blue on Planet Earth. Then Planet Earth itself gradually became smaller and smaller, until it was nothing more than a blue dot amongst a thousand other dots.

I sighed to myself in relief, I was safe, for now.

It took me a minute to realise, but I wasn't actually the one driving the ship. I could feel the wheel moving underneath my hands.

"Maybe this is like Star Trek?" I mused to myself. My father had watched a lot of that space science fiction series when I was young.

"Um..."I pondered what to do, feeling quite silly talking to myself.

"Guess I better ask for a map," I said to myself, "Computer, Map."

As if in answer to my statement, a bright light suddenly lit up in the centre of the console. Above the light suddenly appeared a flat image of a 3-D map.

On it I could see a small blinking dot, following a green line, that went red after the dot went past it.

"Computer, erm...where are we going?"

"Planet Montressor, a small mining colony, near the boarders of the Terran Empire controlled space." The computer informed him.

I slumped back into my chair and sighed. "Very well, continue on course."

The map disappeared and the computer beeped in acknowledgment.

I sighed again and shoved my hands into my coat pockets.

It was then, I realised, I still had that odd sphere that Billy Bones had given to me.

Slowly I closed my hand around the hard ball and slowly drew out the object.

Slowly I reached for the knot of string, and pulled it off. Out of the cloth fell a sphere. A hard metal sphere, with a few criss cross lines all over it, as well as a few small circular buttons here and there.

It was like nothing I had ever seen, and I would look into it father when I reached this Montressor place. Right now though, I was beginning to feel fatigue close it's grasp on me.

"Computer," I yawned, "Please inform me of when we reach Planet Montressor."

The Computer gave a acknowledging beep. I smiled to myself and snuggled down in the big seat, before finally dozing off to sleep, the shining sphere close to my chest.

10 hours later I was rudely awoken by the sound of blaring alarms in my ears, followed by the shudder of the ship being hit by something.

"WARNING! WARNING! WE ARE UNDER ATTACK! WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!" The Computer confirmed what I was thinking in it's usual unemotional voice.

I steadied myself against the well as I pocketed the sphere again.

"Computer, Location?"

"Planet Montressor space."

I breathed a sigh of relieve. Well, maybe I would find some answers there about this sphere thingy.

An explosion suddenly erupted off to the left of me, and I felt the ship begin to descend slightly.

"WARNING! ENGINE HIT! ENGINE HIT! GOING DOWN! GOING DOWN!"

I stared in horror as the ship began to fall towards the planet below.

I quickly grabbed the steering wheel and hoped the Computer had released it's Automatic piloting, or I was gonna go splat when I hit the ground.


	4. Chapter 3:A Lone Man, On A Distant World

**CHAPTER 3**

**A LONE MAN, ON A DISTANT WORLD**

Jim Hawkins flicked pebbles off the roof as he sat there, his back leaning against the chimney stack of the Benbow Inn.

He had once again been caught Solar surfing in a restricted area, and they had now taken it away from him and threatened him with 'a one way ticket to Juvenile Hall,' Not that he cared.

He sighed to himself as the sound of a certain conversation wafted into his ears.

"I really don't know how you manage it, Sarah," Doctor Delbert Doppler's voice came through, "Trying to run a business while raising a felon like...felon...fellow....fellow, like Jim."

"Managing it?" His mothers voice said, "I'm at the end of my rope! Ever since his father left, well...Jim's just never recovered. And you know how smart he is. He built his first solar surfer when he was eight!" Jim sighed as she continued, "And yet, he's failing in school, he's constantly in trouble, and when I talk to him he's like a stranger to me, I don't know, Delbert. I've tried everything..."

Any father conversation was suddenly drowned out by the spluttering of a ship engine overhead.

Jim looked up startled as an ancient spacecraft flew over his head, framed by the coming storm, a trail of black smoke billowing from her engines.

He watched in horror as the ship seemed to do it's best to stay aloft as it made it's way to an empty docking Berth. In the last precious seconds, the pilot managed to pull the nose of the craft up, before the ship landed in a crumpled heap on the end of the berth.

Without father hesitation, Jim quickly slid down the roof of the Benbow, landing nimbly on his feet. He then quickly ran towards the wreckage of the ship.

Like he had thought, the ship was old, no wonder it had crumpled after such a hard landing.

As soon as he reached the ship, he started banging on the Glass dome nearest to him.

"Hey Mister?!" he yelled through the glass, "Your ok in there right?"

In answer to his question a human fist suddenly slammed against the dome, causing him to jump back in alarm.

As he stared, the fist disappeared, then slammed into the dome again, before disappearing again.

On the final blow of the fist, the Dome suddenly swung open, forcing a young man to come tumbling out and onto all fours.

As he looked up, Jim could see the look of fear in his eyes behind his glasses, one of the lens of which was cracked.

His clothing looked odd to him, he was defiantly not from around these parts, but had the look of a man on the run from something.

As he stood up, Jim noticed that the man appeared to be young, only a few years older than he was. His hair seemed to be sticking up at odd angles, as though he had gone to sleep with out drying his hair probably.

His clothes were rumpled and wrinkled in several place, and when he stood up, his legs began to wobbled and collapsed underneath him, almost falling if Jim hadn't caught him.

As he did so, he felt something hard bang against his leg from the man's coat pocket.

"Thank you," The man gasped, his face looked pale as though something had scared him a lot.

"Anyone would think you'd never flown a spaceship before," Jim muttered back.

To his surprise, the man chuckled and ran a hand through his damp hair, "It's funny you should say that," he mused as he delved into one of the pockets of his coat. he seemed to fumble for a moment when sighed in relief as his hand closed over something in it.

"We must find shelter," he managed to get out, trying to stand on his own, but failing miserably, "They'll be here soon."

"Don't worry I live at an Inn nearby, the Benbow, you can rest there," Jim said quietly as he ducked under the Man's arm and helped him stand.

"Thank you very much," the Man smiled at Jim, "My name is Daniel by the way, but most people call me Dan, and yours is...?"

"Jim," the young teen said with a small smile, "Just Jim."

I sighed as the rain began to pour down on me and Jim as we headed towards the Benbow Inn, all the while I tried to regain control of my legs. It was only when we had just reached the door did I finally feel strong enough to stand on my own.

Suddenly, as someone opened the door from the inside, I suddenly heard a scream and a shout of; "James Pleiades Hawkins!"

The site before me was an interesting one. The person who stood before me was not human. In fact, the closest thing I could call him was a Canine.

His features, for the most part, were very dog-like. He had a large nose, as well as big floppy ears on either side of his head. One thing I noticed the most was he didn't actually have fur, just a clump of neatly combed hair on his head, tied in a pony tail at the back.

His clothes, like everyone else I had met since Billy Bones, Appeared to be around from the 16th century, only, obviously, they looked almost new.

The woman behind him had been sitting at a table, behind which was a beautiful field of flowers, for some reason,

Now she was standing up, her eyes full of concern and worry for what Jim had brought in.

I noticed that Jim and the woman looked very alike, leading me to presume that they were mother and son.

"Mom, it's ok," Jim explained, father confirming what I had thought, "He's on the run from Pirates."

I had explained, to the best of my abilities, how I had managed to end up on the Hawkins' doorstep and although Jim was slightly sceptical about Planet Earth and all that, in the end he decided to believe me, especially after I had said I was running from people.

"Pirates!" Jims Mother almost went into hysterics, "He has _Pirates _looking for him? What if they come here? What if..."

Suddenly Jim put a hand over her mouth and motioned for quiet. I cocked my head to listen, and heard the by now familiar sound of an engine above us. Followed shortly by a spotlight through the window. A few seconds later, the gentle sound of a ship landing in front of the inn.

Jim slowly edged his way to the window, and cranked a small handle, the image of the flowers, splitting in the centre, allowing the rain patterned windows to be clearly seen.

A sudden flash of lightning briefly lit up the area.

It took only one glance from Jim to know who was out there.

"Pirates, we have to get out of here!" he said quietly as he grabbed his mother by the hand and pulled her up the stairs, with myself in hot pursuits.

The Canine Alien carefully reached for the doorknob, only to retract it quickly as the brass handle, as well as a good portion of the door, was suddenly blasted clean away.

"I think I'm with Jim on this one," he yelled as he followed us up.

As we ran up the stairs, I gasped as purple blasts of fire shot through the door and the windows.

I watched on in horror as I saw a stray shot ricochet into what appeared to be the top half of a cooking stove, causing it to fall onto it's bottom half, immediately setting fire to the surrounding area.

I was horrified as I ran up the remainder of the stairs, what had I bestowed on these people?

"Delilah?...Delilah!" The Dog Alien cried out of the window, "Stay there! Don't move!" I watched with Jim as the Dog helped Jim's mother onto the windowsill.

"Don't worry Sarah, I'm an expert in the laws of physical science," he reassured her, "Now, when I count to three, we jump." he concluded, despite Sarah's protests. Jim and I glanced at each other before running to the window.

"Ready? One..."

"Three!" Jim and I cried, before promptly shoving them both out the window, with us following in hot pursuit.

At the bottom of the fall, we found ourselves in a large open topped carriage, the top springing up as we had landed.

"Go, Delilah Go!" the slug-like thing attached to the reigns the Alien was holding let off a few barking sounds before running off at incredible speed.

I closed my eyes in frustration as Sarah looked back at the burning wreak that had been the Benbow Inn. All this over a lousy sphere? I sighed and took the sphere out of my pocket. Everyone was either too depressed or too busy driving to notice. I sighed again and ran my fingers over the lines of the surface. What ever this thing was, it was sure important to somebody.

I gazed out of the window of Dr. Doppler's house (I had found out that was his name) the brightness of a crescent moon shining brightly over the land.

"I just spoke with the Constabulary," I heard the Doctor say as he placed down a pot of tea on the coffee table beside Sarah Hawkins, "those blaggard pirates fled without a trace," I watched as he decided to kneel down next to the chair before continuing, "I'm sorry, Sarah...I'm afraid the old Benbow Inn has burnt to the ground."

I didn't know what to say. I had just destroyed a persons entire business, and I'd only just met them.

The Doctor threw me a dirty glance as I walked over and picked up the sphere, clearly outraged at what I had brought upon them.

He poured Sarah a cup while Jim stood next to her, placing a blanket around her shoulders.

Deciding to change the subject, Doppler looked over again to the ball I was holding.

"Well, certainly a lot of trouble over that odd little sphere," he said. While he talked I decided to experiment. By pressing the small circles I realised they depressed slightly. After a few combinations, suddenly, all the circles depressed deeper into the sphere, allowing me to rotate parts of the outer sphere.

"Those markings...baffle me," I heard the Doctor continue, "Unlike anything I've ever encountered," While he kept talking, I decided to try align the criss cross lines into some kind of pattern, "Even with my vast experience and superior intellect, it would take me years to unlock it's- Hey!"

Suddenly, I cracked it. I managed to turn the lines so that some of them separated the sphere into six squares. Suddenly a bright white light emitted from the ball, and the Sphere separated into it's separate parts.

Just as Doppler said "Hey!" the lights suddenly dimmed, and a large 3-D grid seemed to emanate from the sphere, encompassing the entire room, followed by thousands of different points of light. Stars planets, nebula, the whole caboodle.

"It's...a map," I heard the Doctor breath, obviously not quite used to seeing a map of this size, let alone the quality. Then I saw it.  
It was a small watery planet, with a few green and white islands.

Earth.

"This is my home," I said quietly, "The Planet Earth,"

Sarah seemed quite interested, but then I heard the Doctor squeak something out.

"Wait! Wait, wait, wait. This is us! The planet Montressor!"

He slowly reached out for a small rocky world. Suddenly there was bright green light, and he jumped back as a long green line suddenly emanated from the planet.

I looked about in wonder as the Doctor began to call out the names of several obvious landmarks of this civilisation.

"That's the Magellanic Cloud! Ooh! The Coral Galaxy! That's Cygnus Cross, and that's the Calyan Abyss! Wait, what's this?" he stopped and I looked up from examining a yellow nebula see what he was pointing out.

It was a large, greenish planet, with numerous lines and circles like the one on the map. Around it were two rings, one solid looking, the other more dusty looking. Both rings of the planet seemed to cross in the centre. The words 'X marks the spot' came to mind.

"Why, it...it's," Doppler spluttered,  
"Treasure Planet." Jim whispered.

"No!"

"That's Treasure Planet!""  
"Flint's Trove? The loot of a thousand worlds?! Do you know what this means?!!" The Doctor practically shouted.

"It means," Jims said smiling, taking the map from my hands and throwing it up in the air, "That all that treasure is only a boat-ride away."

The doctor though, clearly wasn't listening.

"Whoever brings it back would hold an eternal place atop the pantheon of explorers!" he drivelled on, indicating to the hologram in front of him, "He'd be able to experience-Whoo! What just happened?" he jumped as the lights changed as I snatched back the map from Jim and turned it off, the lighting turning back to the way it had been before

"Mom do you know what this means? This is the answer to all our problems!" Jim cried, indicating to the Map.

"Jim, there is no way..."

"Don't you remember? All those stories?"

"That's all they were, stories!"

Jim rolled his eyes and I couldn't exactly say that I blamed him. If what the Doctor had said about this loot, there was gonna be a lot of it.

"With that treasure we could rebuild the Benbow...a hundred times over!"

"Hey I want to go to you know!" I called out, getting mother and son's attention, "It's my map, so wherever it goes, I go!"

There was a stunned silence after which Sarah seemed to try and make a sentence, before just resting her head in her hand and passing on the trouble to Dr. Doppler.

"Delbert, would you please explain how ridiculous this is?"

Doppler looked up from his thoughts, before finally gazing knowingly at Me and Jim.

"It's totally preposterous, traversing the entire galaxy alone."

He said sternly, to which Sarah nodded in satisfaction.  
"Now, at last we hear some sense."  
"That's why I'm going with you!" he added quickly, before grabbing a bag to start packing.

"Delbert!" she yelled desperately, much to Jim's pleasure, but the Doctor wasn't listening  
"I'll use my savings to finance the expedition! I'll commission a ship!" he said aloud to no one in particular, grabbing bits and pieces from all over the messy study, dropping them into the bag. After a minute of searching he finally climbed a tall stack of books in the corner to fetch a toothbrush from the top of the pile, "Hire a captain and a crew!"

"You're not serious!" I heard Sarah call to him. I glanced over at Jim, who gave me a happy looking grin.  
"All my life I've been waiting for an opportunity like this," he said as he surfed a rather large book back down the stack and throwing down the bag beside him, "and here it is screaming- 'Go Delbert! Go Delbert! Go..."  
"Okay, okay, you're _ALL_ grounded!" She practically screamed, bring the Doctors rambling to an abrupt halt.

Jim sighed and ran a hand through his hair, it was time for a different approach.

"Mom, look...I know that I keep messing everything up..." He began, sounding very genuine, "and I know...that I let you down. But this is my chance to make it up to you. I'm gonna set things right."

I watched as Mrs Hawkins' face changed from angry to sad, to understanding.  
"Sarah? Sarah, eh mhm . . . If I may?" the Doctor interrupted, motioning to have a private conversation in the corner.

As they talked a sidled up to Jim.

"Think she'll let us go?"

Jim shrugged, "Probably. If I know Doc as well as I do, he'll probably convince her.

Finally Sarah turned back to us

"Jim, I don't wanna lose you!" she practically wailed  
"Mom...you won't," he replied taking her hands, "I'll make you proud."

It occurred to me I hadn't seen hind nor hair of Jim's father. Perhaps something had happened to him, like my own, and Jim was all she had left.

Before I could interject, the Doctor had slid in between Sarah, Jim and me, and was glancing from one to the other.  
"Well, there we are, then." he said cautiously.

Before anyone could say a word he had moved to the window and was looking out of the window.

"We'll begin the preparations at once! Jim, Daniel my boys, soon we'll be off to the spaceport!"


	5. Chapter 4: First Impressions

**CHAPTER 4**

**FIRST IMPRESSIONS**

"And her I was thinking it was a moon," I whispered to myself as I got off the transport.

The crescent shaped thing I had thought was a moon had actually been in fact a station, or Crescentia Spaceport.

Never in my entire life had I ever seen so many different people.

"Yeah, it's a pretty special place alright," breathed Jim as he gazed about at the myriad number of aliens. I watched in fascination as what appeared to be some kind of royalty pushed past, two smaller beings on either side of her, holding feather fans.

"Jim, Daniel, wait for me!"

We both gave each other a exasperated look, not bothering to find out where the clump-clump-clump of the boots of a pressurised suit behind us.

"Where did he get that suit?" I asked.

"Some two headed Sales-woman," Jim shrugged, "I'll deal with Doc, you see if you can find the ship."

I gave a small smile and saluted, "Aye captain,"

Jim shot me a sarcastic smile before turning towards Doppler.

I didn't have a lot with me. Basically just the clothes I had had when I left Earth, the map, and a few of Jims spare clothes he insisted I had, even though they barely fitted me. It had been three days since I had crashed onto the Hawkins' doorstep. Since then, Doppler had managed to find a person to replace the cracked lens of my glasses, as well as have a spare pair made for me in case I broke the originals.

I sighed as I walked down the crowded streets, trying to find the ship. Finally I gave up and began to look for a person to ask directions from. Eventually I found a couple of people: a skeletal, tall, long faced robot, and a short, squat red haired Alien, who were apparently painting a windowsill on a nearby house.

"Um, excuse me?"

The Robot looked down on me from the Ladder the Alien was holding. The Alien squinted up at me with beady little eyes.

"What do you want?" They said at the same time.

"Um, could you possibly tell me where I might find the..."

I racked my brains trying to remember the name of the ship Doppler had told me.

"The R.L.S Legacy," I finally said, "Could you tell me where the R.L.S Legacy is docked?"

"Second berth on your right." the robot said in a husky voice, pointing with his paint brush.

"You can't miss it." the Short Alien added in a deep voice.

"Thank you," I smiled at the two of them, before glancing back to see Dr. Doppler and Jim behind me.

"It's the suit, isn't it?" I heard the Doctor say as we continued in the direction the two aliens had shown me, "I should never have listened to that pushy, two-headed saleswoman! This one said it fit, that one said it was my colour, I didn't know what to do! I get so flustered..."

I stopped in front of the berth and found a rather nice surprise waiting for me there.

I heard a sudden clatter and looked away to see that the Doctor had collided with Jim when he had stopped.

After a few moments of commotion, Doppler looked up at the ship and his eyes shone with happiness.  
"Oh, Jim! Daniel! This is our ship! The R.L.S. Legacy!"

With a sweeping hand he indicated to the ship.

It was like something out of my wildest dreams.

The ship, like everything else I had seen, looked like it was from the 16th century, yet it also had a futuristic look to it as well.

Her sails were currently pulled up, but they had a distinct look to them, like they were made from a pattern of hexagons.

Around the back of the ship were two, large dorsal fins, each with some kind of engine implemented into them, along with a bank of something that looked like Jet plane engines along the back of the ship.

"Whoa," exclaimed Jim, as we boarded the Legacy, and I can't say I blamed him.

"This is amazing," he murmured as he looked up at the masts when we got up on deck.

"Ah, Jim, watch where your going..." I called, but to late, the poor boy had accidentally walked into and stepped on a large slug like being, with numerous pipe like things along its back, as well as in the place of hands and mouth.

"I'm sorry I'm..." to late though, the slug like being began to emit a series of rather crude noises through it's numerous tubes, kinda reminded me of the old Tuba chorus in the school band.

After it had finished, Doppler gave it a look before pushing me and Jim aside, as well as raising the front of his helmet so he could see better, or so I presumed.

"I'll handle this," he said smartly. He suddenly began to make another series of honks and toots, using his tongue, cheeks, and armpits.

After he stopped, the alien's eye sticks perked up, before it emitted a series of noise that could only be described as laughter.

"I'm fluent in Flatula, Daniel" he said to my shocked face, "Took two years of it in high school,"

He finished with a salute and a "Pfft" before heading over to a rocky looking fellow dressed in a red uniform.

"Flatula," I muttered to Jim,

"Cool," was his reply as we both followed the Doctor, while Jim flattened his hair, which had been pushed up by the Flatulan.

The man standing in front of us was huge, at least twice my size, and appeared to be made of rock. He was dressed in a uniform of mostly light grey and gold, save for his red jacket and black hat.

Indeed, the way he shouted out orders, combined with the sound of his voice, his overall look was indeed that of a old and hardened sailor, no pun intended.

"Good Morning, Captain," Doppler said brightly to the gentlemen, "Everything shipshape?"

The giant man eyed the Doctor and his suit with his small yellow eyes.

"Shipshape it is sir," he said finally, "But I'm not the Captain. The Captains aloft."

I raised an eyebrow at Jim before looking where the man indicated.

It was then that I first laid eyes on our Captain.

To my surprise it was a very feminine looking figure was up on the yard arm. She jumped from there to the other side of the mast, before catching a rope and somersaulting down to the deck, where she landed perfectly.

I secretly smiled to myself as I heard the squeaking of hinges, followed by a thump as the visor of Dr. Doppler's helmet fell down in front of his face.

My first impression of the Captain was a cat, then a human, then finally a mix between the two. Like the Doctor, she had no fur on her face, save for shoulder length red hair, mostly tucked neatly behind her large ears, two locks left to frame her face.

Her face was for the most part, a kind of beige colour, going lighter still under her eyebrows. The top of her head appeared a dark brown, going round the top of her eyebrows and finishing round her eye-line.

Her lips were the colour of cherries, and her eyes were an emerald green, with two cat-like slits for pupils.

She wore a dark blue coat, that went down to her ankles round the back, and was adorned with gold trimmings along the collar and hem, as well as gold pads on her shoulders and three gold buttons down her front. Under this she wore a tight roll neck shirt, along with elbow length gloves. Her trousers were a light grey, and tucked into a pair of thigh high, black leather boots.

I had to admit she was stunningly beautiful, but, as I was about to find out, she had a wit so sharp you could cut yourself on it.

"Mr. Arrow," she addressed the rocky man, who stood to attention as she came up to him, "I've checked this miserable ship from stem to stern and as usual it's...spot on," her ears perked up and she smiled him, "Can you get nothing wrong?"

Mr. Arrow smiled and took his hat off to the woman.

"You flatter me Captain," he said modestly.

She gave him a wink and a smile, before walking straight into the rather large form of Dr. Delbert Doppler's pressure suit, with the good Doctor in it of course.

She raised an eyebrow at the get up, before smirking and addressing the doctor.

"Ah, Doctor Doppler I presume?"

I managed to hear a muffled response, muffled from the visor being down, as well as quite a few hand movements to boot.

It was clear the Captain was mocking him. She appeared to look puzzled, and cupped a hand round her mouth to amplify her voice slightly.

"Hello? Can you hear me?" before knocking several times on the glass faceplate.

I couldn't help it, I let a small chuckle escape me, because I had to admit, it was funny watching the poor doctor being played for a fool as he tried to take the helmet off.

The Captain look puzzled for a moment, with one hand under her chin.

Suddenly she clicked her fingers.

"If I may doctor this..." she took hold of a boxy thing with a plug on the side on his front before turning it 180 degrees, "...works so much better when it's right way up...and, plugged in!"

She quickly pulled out the plug and cord, before spinning him around and plugging it into the outlet on the back.

"Lovely, there you go,"

She caught the gaze of the stone man, who simply rolled his eyes at her.

The doctor finally managed to take off his stupid helmet and had managed to un-plug himself.

"If you don't mind, I can manage my own plugging!" He said angrily as he waved the plug in front of the captain.  
"I'm Captain Amelia," the Woman finally said, grabbing the Doctors chubby waving hand and wringing it up and down, "Had a few late run-ins with the Procyon armada; nasty business, but I won't bore you with my scars,"  
she said this so quickly I barely managed to catch what she said before turning to the Stone man behind her,  
"You've met my first officer, Mr. Arrow. Sterling, tough, dependable, brave and true."  
"Please, Captain..." If he hadn't been made of rock, I would have swore he would have been blushing.  
"Oh, shut up, Arrow, you know I don't mean a word of it," she said jokingly with a wink. It was clear to me that these two had been friends for a long time.  
"Ahem, excuse me," The Doctor said quietly, "I hate to interrupt...this lovely banter, but, may I introduce to you Jim Hawkins and Daniel Dearing."

While Jim just nodded in the direction of Amelia, I stepped forward and offered my hand to the Captain, hoping to make a good impression.

"Daniel, you see, is the man who found the Treasure m..."

It had been in a split second that I realised that the good Doctor was about to blab something about me I didn't want the crew to hear. As fast as lightning I quickly diverted my hand and clamped the Canine's muzzle shut before he spilled something.

"Doctor, please," I said warningly.

I glanced at the deck crew around us, who had stopped to stare at us. One look from me however and they continued on their way, packing on things to the ship.

The Doctor glared at me as if I was mad, and even Jim looked at me a little strangely.

The Captain, however, was a different matter. As I turned back to the doctor I caught her eye.

She gave me as sort of sideways smile and a raised eyebrow as I realised the doctor, as if she found the moment amusing.

I smiled back, before wiping my hand on a handkerchief I kept in my pocket before once again offering my hand to her, while Doppler wiggled his nose.

"I apologize Captain," I said with a smile, "My name is Daniel Dearing, like the Doctor said. It is a pleasure to meet you."

She raised an eyebrow at me, as though she hadn't been expecting something like this.

She smiled however, and gently put her hand into mine, and shook it, more gently then when she had when she had shaken Doppler's, all the while not taking her eyes off mine.

"The same to you Mr. Dearing." she said, before turning to the Doctor, her expression more harder.

"Doctor, if I may. I'd like a word with you in my Stateroom."

As soon as we entered the Captain's Room, Mr. Arrow took his place by the table, while myself, Jim and the Doctor stood nearby. When Amelia finally came in, she shut the door with a click, making us all jump.

"Doctor," she said blankly, indicating her head to Doppler as she walked towards us, "To muse, and blabber, about a treasure map, in front of this particular crew. Shows a level of ineptitude: that borders on the imbecilic! And I mean that in a very caring way."

She smirked at her own comment, as, I had to admit, did I.

"Imbecilic, did you say?" The Doctor seemed a bit flustered, "foolishness I've got..."

Captain Amelia obviously didn't care what Doppler had as she rolled her eyes at Arrow before putting one hand behind her back, and the other one held out towards us.

"May I see the map please?" It wasn't a question, it as a statement, as she interrupted the Doctor mid-rant.

Doppler looked indigent, and held up a finger to make a point, only to be silenced my the Captain's stare.

He lowered his hand and looked back at me and Jim.

Jim looked back and shrugged. I on the other hand was still trying to keep a straight face, so I couldn't actually look at the Doctor in the face.

Doppler sighed, he knew it was futile, he had already lost me to the Captain's wit.

With a sigh he made a whirling motion with his hand, directing me to the Captain.

I stared hard at the captain for a moment, she stared back.

Finally I delved into the pocket of my coat and produced the map, before holding it out for her to take.

"Captain?" I said pleasantly. When I could be I could have just as sharp a wit.

She smirked at me, clearly seeing my game, before taking the sphere from my hand and holding it up to the light.

"Hmm, Fascinating." her eyes shone with intrigue at the map, looking closer at it's complex lines and circles. Eventually she turned towards her cabinet, but not before looking over her shoulder at Jim, who was slouching like a unruly teen.

"Mr. Hawkins," she directed as she opened her cabinet and placed the map in a small box, "in the future you will address me as either Captain, or Ma'am, Is that clear? The same goes for you Mr. Dearing, are we understood?"

I nodded, Jim just sighed and rolled his eyes at me.

"Mr. Hawkins? Mr. Dearing?" clearly they had not been the answers she had wanted.

"Yes Captain," I said calmly.

"Yes Ma'am," Jim muttered.

"That will do," she replied mildly as she locked the Cabinet, "Gentlemen, this must be kept under lock and key when not in use," She suddenly noticed that the Doctor had become more interested in her charts then listening to her, "And Doctor," she called stepping up to him and pushing her face up to his so he had no choice but to look at her, "Again, with the greatest possible respect: Zip your howling screamer!"

"Captain, I assure you. I..." the doctor began, but the Captain cut him off again.  
"Let me make this as...monosyllabic as possible," she stated, taking my seat at her desk and beginning to plot an invisible course across the chart sprawled there, "I...don't much care for this crew you hired. They're..."she paused to try and remember something, "How did I describe them, Arrow? I said something rather good this morning before coffee,"  
"'A ludicrous parcel of drivelling galoots', ma'am." the First Officer replied, clearly amused.

The Captain smiled to herself at the thought.  
"There you go...poetry," she said matter-of-factly, with a slight hint of sarcasm.  
"Now, see here!" the doctor had finally lost his rag with the Captain he had hired, for he slammed his hands on her desk, and if there's one thing I know about people with power, they don't like people hitting their desks.

It could now be seen that Captain Amelia had finally had enough of the pompous Doctor Delbert Doppler, for she rose to her feet and gave him such a look it could have frozen water.

"Doctor," she said icily, "I'd love to chat. Tea, cake, the whole shebang, but...I have a ship to launch and you've got your outfit to buff up," and she emphasized her last point by running a finger up the collar of the Doctors suit.

She stood up and addressed her First Officer directly  
"Mr. Arrow, please escort these two neophytes..." she paused, realising she had missed one person, "...and Mr. Dearing down to the galley straightaway," she finished,

I swore though her face seemed to go a slightly darker colour, though for what reason I didn't know, "Young Hawkins will be working for our cook, Mr. Silver."  
"Wh, what? The cook?" he looked like she had just told him to throw himself off the ship.

"What about me...Ma'am?" I asked. Surly I was to work in the Galley also?

She looked me up and down for a few moments, a genuine look of wonder in her eyes.

"For the moment, you will also work for Mr. Silver," she said finally, "But that may change. I believe I may have a job slightly better suited for you."

I saluted smartly, "Aye Captain." I said calmly.

She smiled again at me, the look of interest now evident in her eyes.

"That woman! That...Feline! Who does she think is working for whom?!" I sighed as I lead the small party down to the galley. Ever since we had left the earshot of the Captain, both Dr. Doppler and Jim had been moaning about her.  
"It's our map, and she's got me bussing tables...," Jim started, only to be stopped by the stony hand of Mr. Arrow on his and the Doctor's shoulder.

"I'll not tolerate a cross word about our captain!" he growled, "There's no finer officer in this...or any galaxy." I couldn't help but smile as he released them, I they looked like children being told off by a headmaster.

"What about you Daniel? I'm sure you have some kind of quarrel with her?" Doppler asked desperately, hoping to get Arrows attention focused something apart from him.

"Oh no, Dan's go nothing against her," Jim said with a cocky grin, "I think the 'Good Captain' likes him."

I glared at Jim angrily. "What gave you that idea?"

Jim suddenly put on a ridiculous impression of Captain Amelia. "'Mr. Arrow, please take these two neophytes..._AND _Mr. Dearing down to the galley.' Come on, how many times have you heard a Captain miscount?"

I was about to reply when I suddenly heard a low whistling coming from up ahead.

I gazed through the low lighted galley, The only source of lighting came from the large stove in the centre of the cooking area. Then, something caught my eye, the whistling man, half consumed in the shadows.  
"Mr. Silver!" Mr. Arrow called into the gloom. The large man glanced up from whatever he was doing, before wiping his hands on his apron.  
"Why, Mr. Arrow, sir," he said in a loud, booming voice, "Bringin' in such fine-looking distinguished gents to grace my humble galley." he suddenly brought his other arm into view in a bow, "Had I known, I'd tucked in me shirt!" as he finished, he indeed began tucking his shirt into his red and green stripped trousers.

Suddenly I realised something about this gent. He appeared to have a lot of body parts missing, each one replaced by a clever metal replacement. His right arm and leg, a good side of his face, as well as his right eye, all rather predominant looking, sticking out from his body.

"_The Cyborg....Beware...the Cyborg._"

My eyes widened as Billy Bones' last words to me echoed through my head.

"A Cyborg," I breathed.

"My I introduce Dr. Doppler," I heard Mr. Arrow at the back of my head, "The financier of our voyage."

Doppler stepped forward as his name was called, do his best to put on a friendly smile.

"Love the outfit Doc," Silver said with a smile, as a red laser suddenly shone from his eye and cast itself down Doppler's suit.

"Well, thank you," Doppler replied meekly, as he tried to cover up certain places as the laser travelled down the suit, "Love the eye!".

Suddenly he eyed Jim and me, before grabbing us both and pushing us in front of him.

"Um, these young lads are Jim Hawkins and Daniel Dearing."

"Jimbo! Danny-boy!" he through his cybernetic hand towards us, only for it to reveal a series of pointy objects instead of fingers. After a moment, he seemed to realise what had had happened and quickly revolved it around to reveal his hand.

Jim looked down at the hand, then up at Silver.

I just gazed at the hand, before cursing my politeness and taking it, feeling the cold metal of his hand under my fingers as he threatened to shake my arm off.

The large man glanced at Jim, who was still looking mutinously at him.

Eventually he shrugged before turning back to what ever he had been preparing before we came in.

"Ah, now, don't be too put off by this hunk of hardware," he called over his shoulder as he proceeded to cut up vegetables and other such food with utensils on his arm, pausing momentarily to pretend to chop his real hand off with a axe while chopping up a load of meat. It was clear however he was joking with us.  
"These gears have been tough gettin' used to," he said as he threw 3 egg-like things over his shoulder, catching them in three spidery looking clamps, before cracking them into the pot, "but they do come mighty...handy, from time to time." He then walked over to the stove with the pot, cooking on a blow torch implement. Quickly he tossed the pan in the air before catching it in his cybernetic hand, before tossing it into the stove, seasoning it slightly, before tasting it.

"Mmm," he gestured to it with his mechanical hand. He quickly grabbed three bowls, before ladling the stuff into them and hand us each a bowl "Here now, have a taste of me famous Bonzabeast stew," he said.

I glanced at the chunky stuff he had given me, before glancing at Jim, who just mirrored my look.

I then glanced over at the Doctor, who seemed to be quite happy with his food.

"Mmm. Delightfully tangy, yet, robust!"  
"Old family recipe . . ." the old chief commented as Doppler bent down to eat some more, only to give a shout of surprise as, to my own surprise, an eyeball suddenly floated to the top.  
"In fact...that was part of the old family!" and he laughed out loud, leaning on the Doctor for support. He then proceeded to pick up the eye from the soup and popped it in his mouth. "Oh, I'm just kiddn' Doc!"  
"I'm nothin' if I ain't a kidder," he chuckled as he elbowed me in the ribs, "Go on Danny-boy have a swig!"

I slowly picked up my spoon and gazed at the stew uncertainty as some of it slipped off my spoon.

Suddenly the spoon seemed to swallow the broth, making me almost drop it as a pair of cute eyes suddenly pooped up on the top.

"Morph!" I heard Silver exclaimed as my spoon suddenly gulped down my stew as it slipped out my hand and turned into a little blob of pink, reminding me of strawberry jelly, "you jiggle-headed blob of mischief, so that's where you were hiding.

The little...blob let it's tiny pink tongue hang out, before turning into a straw and sucking up the rest of my stew, emitting a large burp after it had finished.

After that it flew in the air again, before nuzzling the side of my face.

"Wh...what is that thing?" I asked curiously as I moved to poke it.

"what is that thing?" the blob mimicked on a squeaky voice, before popping into about a dozen little pink blobs and a couple of eyes as I poked him.  
"He's a morph," Silver said as Morph turned into a miniature me and mimicked me on my finger, before giving me another nuzzle and going on to Silver, "I rescued the little shape-shifter on Proteus one! Ah, he took a shine to me," he mumbled as the little blob made a affectionate sound, "We've been together ever since. Right? Have we not?," he cooed the little thing before turning back to his kitchen.  
"We're about to get underway," Mr. Arrow interrupted as a whistle could be heard above, "Would you like to observe the launch, Doctor?"  
"Would I?! Does an active galactic nucleus have superluminal jets?!" The Doctor proclaimed, clearly hoping to amuse everyone.

"Is that a pin dropping?" I whispered to Jim, who tried to stifle a small laugh.

Doppler gazed at the First officer, hoping to see a small smile. When he didn't, he indicated to the stair case, "I'll follow you,"

As the Doctor headed towards the staircase, Jim followed, only to be pushed back bay the First officers large, rocky fist.

"Mr. Hawkins and Mr. Dearing will remain here...in your charge, Mr. Silver."

I heard a splutter and a choke from behind me as Silver spluttered on the stew his had been tasting again.

"Begging your pardon sir, but er..." he began.

"CAPTAIN'S ORDERS!" Arrow barked, "See that the new Cabin Boy's are kept busy.

I raised an eyebrow as Jim and Silver both began to try and make futile excuses to Arrow's back.

Eventually they both gave up, rubbing their eyes at the same time.

I glanced at Morph, who had been orbiting my head. The little Pink blob looked at me back, a questioning look in it's eyes.

Finally Silver sighed and put his hands behind his back, circling round us like a hungry shark.

"So...Captains left you two with me eh?"

"Whatever," Jim grunted as he headed off towards a barrel.

"I guess so," I shrugged.

Silver gazed at me for a moment before finally sighing to himself.

"Eh...who be a humble Cyborg, to argue with a Cap'n."

It seemed a slightly weird thing for the guy to say. I watched him curiously as he went back to cooking his stew.

I glanced over at Jim, who had picked up a purple fruit thing and proceeded to eat it.

"You know," he said in a would be calm voice, as he sat down on the nearby counter, "These purps are kinda like the ones we've got back home...on Montressor. You ever been there?"

"Uh, can't say that I have Jimbo," the old cook replied.

Jim looked at me, as if trying to make me catch on to something. It was clear to me however, what he was thinking; Could this be the Cyborg Billy Bones had warned me about?

Knowing what to do, I opened a new line of conversation.

"You know, just before I left home, I ran into this old man," I said in the same tone Jim had used a moment ago, "I think he was... looking for an old Cyborg friend of his,"

"Is that so?" Silver replied casually.

"Ah-huh. What was that old Salamander's name?" I paused as if thinking it over, "Oh yeah: Bones. Billy Bones?"

Silver paused.

"Bones?" He repeated, "Boooonnnneees?" he shook his head as he set down his pot next to me, "Ah, T'ain't ringing any bells. Must be a different Cyborg. There's a slew of Cyborgs, roaming this part!" he winked at me before hearing Mr. Arrows voice above us.

"Ahhh, Off with you lads, and watch the Launch. They'll be plenty for you to do when we get back."

We both shrugged before heading up the stairs.

"Think he's the one?" Jim asked.

"Gotta be," I muttered back.


	6. Chapter 5: Launch and Promotions

**CHAPTER 5**

**LAUNCH AND PROMOTIONS**

"ALL HANDS TO STATIONS!!!"

I sighed to myself as I heard Mr. Arrows loud voice boom around the Legacy.

Jim seemed to be excited about the launch, and ran off as soon as we left the stairs.

I looked around the ship as myriad different Aliens roamed around the deck, scaling the rigging and prepared for departure.

Looking around, I could see what the Captain had meant about them being ' a ludicrous parcel of drivelling galoots,'

They had to be _the _shadiest lot I had ever seen, but as long as they go the job done, I wasn't bothered.

I suddenly heard a crackling above me as the Sails were loosened. I watched in fascination as they appeared to light up as the nearby sun's ray shone down on them.

As I watched, a suddenly realised I had the feeling of weightlessness. Indeed, as I looked down, I realised I was floating about a metre of the ground.

"Mr. Zoff, engage artificial gravity," I heard the captain call out, followed my the tooting of the Faltulan, before I suddenly felt me feet drop to the ground.

I landed carefully, on both my feet and one hand, though a rather large clang from the bridge informed me the poor Doctor had landed fair less happily.

"South by south west Mr. Turnbuckle, heading 2-1-0-0."

"Aye Cap'n: 2-1-0-0." a large tentacled alien replied.

I strode to the bow of the ship, and gazed out as the curve of Crescentia Spaceport came into view.

"Take her away!" I heard Arrow call out.

Suddenly the ship lurched forwards, almost throwing me off balance, almost.

I smiled as I leaned over the side of the ship, watching as the spaceport began to disappear fast behind us.

I sighed with content, the wide open space of the Etherium in front of us.

"Mr. Dearing!"

I spun around quickly at the sound of Mr. Arrow's voice, there was something about this guys voice that was commanding. No wonder Doppler had mistaken him for the Captain.

"Yes Mr. Arrow?" I asked as calmly I could, "may I help you with something sir?"

The first officer clumped (That being the only word I could think of for the way he walked) up to me, a hint of amusement on his rocky features.

"Relax Mr. Dearing, I'm not going to going to reprimand you," he said calmly.

"Oh," I looked up at the towering man blankly, "So...um...what did you want me for...sir?"

Arrow's smile seemed to broaden slightly, "Captain Amelia wishes to see you...privately in her stateroom Mr. Dearing. Now."

"I see," I nodded, "Well, I guess I better go see her...then, sir."

Mr. Arrow nodded, before carrying on about his duties.

"_what does the Captain want to see me about?_" I thought to myself.

"_Most likely something to do with the map,"_ a voice in my head replied.

I nodded to myself, yeah that had to be it. I was the original owner. It would be natural for her to want to see me about it. I had taught Jim how to open the map as well, just in case something...happened to me.

Well if there was one thing the Optician had taught me on my visits to him, it was to always think ahead.

A lonely sound of whales suddenly caught my attention.

"_Wait a minute...whales!?!_"

I looked up and gasped. High above my head was a large whale like creature made it's slow way over the mast, and it wasn't just one of them, it was around a dozen, "_A pod of space whales_," I mused.

I watched in fascination as one of the gentle creatures sidled up to the ship, it's great black eye looking down on me, before it turned away from the ship to join the rest of it's pod.

As I watched, I noticed the doctor, still in that stupid suit gaze over the edge of one of the flying bridges at one that had gottan close.

"Upon my word, an Orcus Galacticus!" he breathed, before pushing a button on his suit, making a camera pop out.

"Smile!" he shouted at the poor thing.

I suddenly heard the captains voice punch through my thoughts from the bridge.

"Err, Doctor I'd stand clear if I were..."

But to late, the Galacticus had become irritated at the large metal yellow thing that was shouting at it, and proceeded to fire something, that could only be described as a form of mucus, covering the poor doctor from head to toe in the green sticky liquid.

I couldn't help but chuckle at the poor man. Everything bad seemed to happen to him.

"Ah, it's a grand day for sailing, Cap'n," a large brassy voice of a certain Cyborg I disliked was heard, "and look at ya. As trim and as bonny as a sloop with new sails and a fresh coat of paint," I gazed at Mr. Silver intently as I came up behind him. As he finished attempting to flatter the Captain, he proceeded to take his hat off to her in a large bow, letting little Morph out from under his hat. As soon as the pink blob was free he started to fly about Silver, before discovering me. He made a few squeaky noises, before coming up to me and nuzzling my face as he had the tendency to do.  
I didn't understand why, but I seemed to find this little 'blob of mischief' to be extremely cute and care-free and I gazed at him fondly as he flew around my head.

The captain, though didn't seem impressed by Silver at all.

"You can keep that kind of flim-flammery for your spaceport floozies, Silver." she said coldly, making the cooks face drop, almost literally.

Morph suddenly stopped as it saw the captain, before turning into a miniature of her, in a slightly flirty pose I might add.

"Spaceport Floozies, Spaceport Floozies," he squeaked.

I watched him for a few moments with amusement, before knowing that the Captain would disapprove of it, so I tapped him lightly on the head, making him turn back to his original form.  
"You cut me to the quick, Cap'n," Silver said, his voice filled with mock pain, "I speaks nothing but me heart at all times." the Captain rolled her eyes as Morph squeaked something at the cook, only to be shoved under his hat for his troubles.

I smiled to myself as I put my hands in the pockets of my wax jacket, while the Captain suddenly saw Jim in the rigging.  
"And, um, by the way, isn't that your cabin boy, aimlessly footling about in those shrouds?" She pointed out.  
Silver looked like he was going to try and make another excuse, but then thought against it.  
"A moment to the aberration, Cap'n!" he said hastily, "Soon to be addressed, JIMBO!"

And with that he walked off to introduce Jim 'two new friends.'

I smiled up at the Captain as she watched the scene unfold, before turning back to look out to the space in front of us, only to catch my eye.

I smiled and gave a casual salute.

"Good Afternoon Captain, I trust the launch was good?"

She smiled back and rested her hands on the railing surrounding the bridge.

"Ah, Mr. Dearing. Yes it was a fine beginning to a voyage. I trust you are here because I sent for you?"

I nodded, "Aye Captain I am,"

"Good man. I like it went a man is prompt to being called."

I raised an eyebrow and smirked slightly.

"Would you like me to wait in the Stateroom ma'am?"

"That would be fine Mr. Dearing. Please wait for me there, I shall be down shortly."

Amelia sighed to herself as she watched Mr. Dearing nod to her before entering her Stateroom. There weren't many men like him. He was as gentlemanly as you could possibly get, but at the same time, he could have a wit as sharp as her own when he wanted too.

"_Yes sir, not a lot of men like him at all,_" she thought to herself. She suddenly shook her head, what was she thinking?! She couldn't think thoughts like that! He was a charming fellow though...No, wait, you've only just met the man, how can you think such thoughts about him?

Shaking her head, she turned and headed down the stairs that would lead to the lower deck and her stateroom.

"Carry on our currant heading Mr. Turnbuckle." she said quietly as she passed the helmsmen.

"Aye Captain," came the reply.

Amelia nodded before heading for her stateroom.

Her Stateroom was large, probably the largest room on ship. It was also sparsely decorated. The only main objects I could see in the room was a large, gold lined table, a red velvet backed chair, and a small Piano in the corner. There were other things in the room as well, but they were mostly to do with nautical navigation, as well as the Cabinet she kept the map in next to the piano.

I sighed to myself as I gazed out of the large window behind the Captains chair. It seemed weird for me. I had been on an old sailing galleon before on a school trip once. When I had looked out of the back window there, I had seen part of the dock, as well as the water lapping at the bottom of the ship. Here though, All I could see was the wondrous and yet mysterious Etherium, with a faint blue glow from the engines below.

"Intriguing view, Eh Mr. Dearing?"

I turned slightly, not as fast as I had when Mr. Arrow had called me, but just enough to see Captain Amelia come through the door, take off her Captain's Hat, and lock it behind her.

"Indeed it is Ma'am," I replied.

She smiled and placed her hat on her desk before joining me at the window.

"When I was a girl, I used to dream about what it would be like to travel the stars, on my own Solar Galleon. I dreamed of the adventures I would have, with me and my crew."

She sighed and looked a little depressed.

"What happened?" I asked, surprising myself a little for being so informal.

"As soon as I turned sixteen, I go the first transport to the Inter-steller Academy, rose through the ranks quickly, and received this ship, 6 months ago. I realised though, that this life was not the adventure I had hoped it to be,"

She sighed again, before perking up and sitting down on her chair.

"Well Mr. Dearing, I didn't summon you here to give you my autobiography."

I smiled to myself as I headed round the table to the other side, "of that I have no doubt Ma'am,"

She gave me that side-ways smile she had given me the first time I had met her.

"Touché," she said quietly, "you are correct though. I summoned you here to decide what to do with you."

Assuming she meant my job on the Legacy, I said,

"I thought I was to be a Cabin Boy for Mr. Silver."

Amelia shook her head, "No, I don't believe you are suited for that Mr. Dearing. The position of Cabin Boy is usually for someone of...Young Hawkins' stature."

I raised an eyebrow at this.

Seeing I didn't understand, she continued, "Seeing I believe Mr. Hawkins to be young and Naïve, I believe that Mr. Silver will be able to whip the boy into shape."

I nodded in understanding.

"You don't think I require Mr. Silver's...um...teaching, Ma'am?"

He tapped the table in front of her, "Spot on, Mr. Dearing, Spot on. Before the launch, I had a chance to talk to Dr. Doppler about you. Apart from his explaining of where you come from and how you came to be in possession of the map, he commented you seemed to have a rather vast knowledge of navel ships and the way they work. In fact, apparently he only chose this ship, and not a heavier Galleon, was because you suggested the Legacy, is that true?"

I flushed slightly at the high praise I had received from the Doctor.

"It is," I replied modestly.

"Care to explain? I know for a fact that until three days ago your civilisation had yet to go anywhere father than your planets Moon, if what the Doctor told me was correct. Care to explain how you knew about different class's of ships?"

"Well, back on earth, we used to have Ships similar to these, only they floated on water. They would travel the Sea lanes of the Planet, seeking out new territories, land, etcetera. I'm fascinated by the 16th centaury, that's the time these ships were made. I guess I just followed the guidelines of what I knew from that time, put two and two together, and that's how we chose you, and your fine ship while I heavier Galleon _would_ be good if we ran into pirates or to carry the treasure home, The Legacy is a much more agile vessel and will get us there in half the time."

"I see," she settled down into her chair, her slim fingers steepled in thought, "Well, I don't know if the Doctor told you this, but he...rather unfortunately, forgot a rather important member of the crew. Well important to me anyway."

"Oh?" I looked puzzled, trying to think back. Doppler had been very specific when it had come to the crew, at least, that's what he had told me.

"Oh, yes." Amelia smiled at me, "I find that this crewmember is often a very useful man...or woman, to have around a ship like the Legacy: the Lieutenant."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

"You see Mr. Dearing," she said quietly as she stood and walked round the table, "whenever I go on a long voyage, such as this, I tend to find a Lieutenant is one of the most important men to have on my ship."

"Then way don't you employ someone for a full time application instead of have the Financiers of the Voyage's hire a different one each time...Ma'am."

"The roll of Lieutenant is a..." she paused, halfway around the table, trying to think of an appropriate word, "Slightly personal job. I worry slightly if I have a Lieutenant for too long, I might get...attached to him,"

I raised an eyebrow at her last statement but before I could inquire more she had begun to talk again.

"Basically you are like a Cabin boy, Second Officer and Assistant to me," she continued, "I like the Lieutenant to bring me coffee in the morning and evening, assist me in my reports during most of the day, do the occasional watch on the bridge while myself and Mr. Arrow are dining, and...in extreme circumstances, like if myself and Mr. Arrow were incapacitated, take temporary command of the Legacy. So Mr. Dearing." she had by now come round her table and not stood barely a hands breadth away from me, "do you think you are up to the job?"

I blinked in surprise. Never in my wildest dreams had I ever imaged I would be even part of the chain of command.

I gazed down at the hand she had held out to me.

I noticed that she happened to be slightly smaller than me, about 5"3 without her Captains Hat on. Why I had never noticed was beyond me.

"Mr. Dearing?"

I gazed into her Emerald eyes, trying to see if this was some kind of joke. I saw nothing but the truth.

I smiled at her, before taking her hand firmly in mine.

"It would be an honour Captain."

"Excellent," she seemed to say it a bit more quietly than before.

She suddenly turned and headed for the door that led to her quarters, "You will start from this evening, your first task will be to run the Bridge for an hour while Myself and Mr. Arrow eat. Mr. Arrow or myself will then relieve you of your duties so you can eat. After that the next time I expect to see you is with my coffee at 7:30 sharp."

She disappeared into her quarters but continued to talk.

"You shall immediately be moved to your new quarters Mr. Dearing, their right next to Mr. Arrow's you can't miss them. Oh, and by the way, I don't think it would be prudent for you to wear what your wearing right now tomorrow, it makes you look like a Cabin Boy."

I gazed down at my clothes. I was basically wearing what I had been the day I left, only they were cleaner. But I see she had a point.

"What would you suggest I wear then Captain?" I asked the open doorway, "I don't have any other clothes...save for a few Jim's lending me, and they don't fit."

I heard a brief shout of laughter, followed by the Captain appearing in the doorway.

In her arms she held several sets of clothes, which to my surprise, looked very much like her own, yet made for a man.

"I suggest you wear these _Lieutenant_," she said with a smile, before handing them to me, "These should be enough for the voyage.

"Ma'am, these look like Captains clothes," I mused as I noticed the gold along the collar of a tunic.

"They are. Unfortunately I don't have any Lieutenant uniforms on me. Usually the Neophyte that hires the Lieutenant has the knowledge to take him or her out of the Royal Navy."

I smiled to myself. Neophyte, I had to remember that one.

"The moment you put on that uniform," Amelia continued, "You will out rank every single member of this crew, aside from myself and Mr. Arrow of course. You will follow my orders as before, but you will also be able to order the crew about as well." she smiled as a thought of me ordering the crew to jump off the ship entered her head.

"Are we clear Lieutenant?"

I smiled, "Crystal Ma'am."

"Very Good, Mr. Arrow!"

The rocky first Officer opened the door and lent in.

"Yes Captain?"

"Please take Mr. Dearing down to the Lieutenant's Quarters. That will be his job for the reminder of the Voyage.

A smile suddenly graced Arrow's features.

"As you wish Captain. Lieutenant Dearing? If you will follow me."

I nodded before proceeding to follow his dark shape, but only before turning back to Amelia.

"I do have one Question Ma'am?"

Amelia smiled knowingly, "You want to know why I chose you, a man with no navel history of our world, over Dr. Doppler, Mr. Hawkins and the rest of the crew?"

I nodded silently.

"Well, as far as I'm concerned, I trust the currant crew of this ship about as far as I can throw Crescentia Spaceport! The Doctor has about as much sailing knowledge as the books he studies, and Mr. Hawkins is to young and needs to be taught some manners before I would give him a Lieutenants responsibility. _You_, on the other hand, have shown me courtesy and navel Knowledge that I wouldn't expect, even though your not even from around here. There's also something...very trusting about you,"

I nodded in understanding, before smiling at her, "It will be a pleasure to serve with you Captain." I said with a sideways smile, before closing the door behind me.

When the door clicked shut, Amelia smiled slightly with a sigh, "Oh no Lieutenant, The pleasure will be all mine."


	7. Chapter 6: Command, Friendship and Spide...

**CHAPTER 6**

**COMMAND, FRIENDSHIP AND **

**SPIDER PSYCHOS**

I tugged down on my tunic as I gazed into the mirror in my room. I had to say, my uniform was actually more comfortable than I had thought it was going to be.

It was comprised of a Dark Blue tunic, similar to the Captains, in the form of the gold Lining of the collar and the gold shoulder pads and buttons, but it only went as far as my thigh. Underneath this I wore a white roll-neck Long sleeved shirt, almost exactly like the Captains, only made for a male figure. The tight trousers were a lighter colour than Amelia's also, a more dry dirt colour than her grey coloured ones. These were tucked neatly into a pair of Black, Knee high boots, made of leather. To complete the uniform was a three-pointed black hat with gold lining, which was now hanging on a hook by the door.

I sighed as I took a final glance around the my new home for the next six months. It was small, no larger than my old room I had at home.

In one corner was a small one man bed, along with a desk and chest of drawers on the opposite side. A small room off to the side led to the Shower room, as well as the necessary facilities.

I took another glance in the mirror, before finally grabbing my hat from the desk and heading out on deck.

Outside it was eerily quiet. A bit to quiet for my liking. There didn't seem to be anyone around.

"Maybe your earsssss, don't work sssso well."

I spun around, finding the reason why the deck was quite, and, not to my surprise, Jim was in the middle of it.

He was being held by the collar of his shirt, clearly having offended the crew member who was holding him above the deck.

The figure was spidery in looks. He appeared to have the back end of a spider, but he had the chest and arms of a man, clothed in only a open blue sleeveless jacket and cloth belt, he was totally black, save for his face, which was red and narrow, as well as the bottom half of his spider part.

His head was narrow and long a straggle of long grey hair peeping out from underneath his skull cap on his head, ending in a mouth full of pointy teeth.

His eyes were his most predominant features, for they were bright yellow, with two darker spots for pupils

"Yeah, too bad my nose works just fine," Jim gasped, his legs dangling a good two feet off the ground.

The spider, who I realised was a character named Scroop, narrowed his yellow eyes in rage.

"Why you impudent little..."

Suddenly he threw poor Jim against the main mast, the crew jeering and cat calling, and that for me was the final straw.

As fast as I could I ran up to the stairs that would lead to the main deck, only to find Silver at the scene first.

As soon as he saw the scene unfold, his large face went a pail colour. As quick as his large body would allow he quickly turned his artificial hand into a clamping utensil.

Then, just as Scroop was about to slit Jim's throat, he found his claw caught in the clamp.

I watched in amazement as the Spider glanced down at the arm, then to Silver in disbelief, as the Cyborg casually took a Purp from his pocket with his good hand, and began to examine it.

"Mr. Scroop?" he said casually, taking a bite out of the purple fruit, "have you ever seen what happens to a fresh Purp?...when you squeeze...real HARD!"

He suddenly pulled Scroop's arm back on itself, making the Spider yelp in pain, dropping Jim in the process, before clutching his arm to his chest.

I finally decided to take action.

"What the Hell is going on here?!" I yelled as I ran down the steps to the main deck.

Nobody looked at me, they all just gazed at Silver, who was throwing Mr. Scroop a dirty look.

"Go get yerself a mop Danny-boy, you should have been here an hour ago, helpin' Jimbo," the cook grunted, not taking his eyes off of Scroop.

My eyes narrowed at the Cyborg's back. As I approached him, some of the crew turned to throw me a look, only stare in disbelief at my uniform, before lowering their heads in respect.

"You know the rules Mr. Silver," I continued as I approached, "There will be no brawling on this ship. I suggest you head down to the galley to prepare dinner. The Captain likes to be prompt with things like that."

Silver's eyes widened in disbelief as I spoke to him in such a commanding manner, which, I might add, surprised myself.

"Now See Here Danny-boy!" he roared as he spun around to face me.

"THAT'S LIEUTENANT DEARING TO YOU MR. SILVER!!!"

Silver turned pale again as he heard Mr. Arrow's booming voice behind me. He then looked me up and down, realising I was wearing a uniform.

I gave him a smug sort of smile as I heard the familiar clumping sound of The First Officer coming down the stairs behind me.

"As of the moment the Captain promoted Mr. Dearing, he now has authority over you. From this moment on, you will refer to him either as Lieutenant, or Sir, are we clear?"

There was a few mutterings of "Yes sir," was muttered around the crew as Arrow walked up the line, eyeing each one in turn.

"Lieutenant Dearing is correct in his statement though. There _will_ be no brawling on this ship. I would hasten to add, that any more offenders, shall be confined to the brig for the remainder of the voyage."

He suddenly caught Scroop rolling his eyes, and leaned towards the rigger menacingly.

"Am I clear...Mr. Scroop?"

The Spider seemed to think about saying something rude to the First Officer, but one glance at Silver and, for a reason unknown to me, he sighed and faced Arrow.

"Transparently," he muttered.

Seeming to be satisfied with the answer, Arrow pulled back, nodded at me, before clumping back to the Bridge, an angry stare from Scroop following him.

There was a silence after he had gone, everyone looking at each other in confusion. I decided to bring them back into reality.

"What are you all standing around here for?" I said, glaring at each of them in turn, "This isn't a Cruise ship, So get back to work!"

The crew looked at each other, then began to split up to their duties, each giving me a mutinous look before leaving.

"Well done Lieutenant Dearing, Sir!" I heard Silver perk up from behind me, "You know what they say: a tight ship's a happy ship...sir,"

I sighed to myself and turned to face this pestilent Cyborg, just in time to see him give me a mocking salute that I wasn't supposed to see.

"Oh, keep your clap-trap for someone who cares Silver," I sighed, putting a hand through my hair under my hat as I did so, "I know a suck-up when I see one."

Silver looked at me in with a hurt expression on his face.

I sighed, I had been up on deck in uniform for 3 seconds and already I had had to try and sort out a brawl _and_ try and get rid of a cook who was quite frankly getting on my nerves.

I gave Silver a stern look, to which he gave me a sheepish grin with puppy dog eyes.

"To put it in words the captain might use: Save it for your Spaceport Floozies Silver." I smiled at him wickedly as the Cyborg looked at me in disbelief, before turning towards the Bridge, only to stop again when a thought popped into my mind.

"Oh, Jim?"

I noticed the young boy look up at me, a small smile on his own face.

"While I know you like to stand up for yourself, I would suggest you try to keep out of the way of Mr. Scroop for a while if I was you."

The cocky smile returned to the Cabin boys face, before he saluted, "Aye Lieutenant,"

I smiled back and gave him a wink over my shoulder, before turning back to the stairway. Hearing Silver Rant on about giving Jim a Job as I left.

Two hours later, Amelia sat at the head of the table of the Captains dining room, eating what she presumed to be food.

On her left sat Mr. Arrow, while on her right sat

Dr. Doppler, who was just mindlessly prodding the stew, from what Arrow had told her, he had met before.

Finally, Doppler sighed and pushed his bowl away.

"If you don't mind Captain, I'd like to turn in early tonight."

Amelia smiled as best as she could and gestured to the door.

"Oh no Doctor please, we won't stop you." she said calmly.

The Doctor hesitated, before finally standing up and heading for the Door, saying only a brief goodnight to the Captain and First Officer before he left.

Arrow sighed as he watched the Doctor leave, "I don't think I'll ever understand that man,"

"No," Amelia agreed, not actually listening to Mr. Arrow, actually thinking about something else.

Arrow noticed this, and kept wondering why she kept glancing above them, towards the bridge.

Suddenly he realised what it was she was thinking, and decided to bring it casually into the conversation.

"I saw Lieutenant Dearing deal with a brawl today," he said mildly, deciding to ignore the fact the Captain's ears had defiantly perked up at the sound of Dearing's name.

"Oh, really?" The Captain coughed slightly, as a piece of Bonzabeast stew slid down her throat, "how did he do?"

"He did rather well, if I may be so bold." Arrow smiled as he remembered hearing Dearing's last remark after he had left, "although the crew weren't expecting him to be in Uniform, so I thought I'd give him a bit of a boost."

"I see," she finally withdrew her gaze from the stew and focused on her old friend, "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were developing a soft spot for the young man,"

Arrow merely raised an eyebrow, a small smile on his rocky lips.

"I could say the same thing about him towards you, Captain."

Her eyes widened, and she turned her face to hide the blush that crept onto her cheeks.

"I thought as much,"

Finally, Amelia pushed away her half eaten dinner, before standing up straight.

"That, was out of line Arrow," she said with a small smirk, as if trying to gloss over the whole event.

The rocky man shrugged, "Just pointing out the obvious Ma'am. It's obvious you like the man. He has no expertise with a ship such as the Legacy, yet he's up on the Bridge, hands behind his back, looking like he's done it for years."

Arrow watched as his Captain looked away from him before continuing, "He seems a nice enough fellow. As gentlemanly as you can get with a wit to match your own when he wants too. Seems like a fair match to me."

Amelia glared at her First Officer with narrow eyes as he sat there, a big smirk evident on his face.

She sighed in defeat, she didn't want to have this conversation, and began to walk toward the door.

"Captain," Arrow's voice echoed over to her as she laid her hands on the door lock, "Give the man a chance. I know you've only just met him, but you obviously trust him enough to give him the temporary rank of lieutenant, surly that's an incentive to get to know the man a little better?"

Amelia didn't move from her spot. She knew he was right. The man was a gentleman, through and through. It couldn't hurt to get to know him, a little better...could it?

"Be aware that the Lieutenant has no one out here that he knows, save for Mr. Hawkins and Dr. Doppler, but their only people he just met, Nether does he have anyone waiting for him when he gets back. Perhaps...you could help him though this time?"

Amelia's shoulders slumped at the last comment.

"I will think about it," she said quietly, before opening the door and heading up to the bridge.

She gazed up at the dimly lit bridge, no one but Mr. Turnbuckle and...him...standing there,

She gazed at the young lieutenant as he watched over the Etherium, hands clasped behind his back, looking as though he belonged there, just as Arrow had said.

She smiled to herself as she watched, a slight breeze brushing over his hair not covered by his hat.

She began to muse over Arrows words. Perhaps...she could...teach him...a few things to help him through the voyage. Yes, that's an idea. In no time at all she suddenly found herself at the Bridge, which surprised her somewhat.

She gazed at the Lieutenant for a moment, his back to her, before she finally cleared her throat, letting him know she was there.

"Good evening Lieutenant,"

I turned slightly at the sound of the Captains voice behind me, before smiling at the Feline commander.

"Good evening Ma'am,"

She nodded and stood beside me, not daring to look me at me directly.

"Everything ship-shape up here?"

I nodded silently before turning back to the Etherium.

"Good, Jolly good. Mr. Arrow informed me of your little endeavour with the crew today, good job."

I tilted my head towards her in respect, "Thank you Ma'am."

I swore I saw her give a small smile, but as quickly as it had come, it was gone.

We stood there for a few moments, the only sound was the groaning of the shrouds and the flapping of sails.

Finally Amelia turned to me, a side-ways smile on her face.

"If I'm not mistaken, shouldn't you be having dinner right now?"

I chuckled slightly, "I think I've had enough trouble with Bonzabeast stew Ma'am. No, I think I'll go and check up on Jim...err, Mr. Hawkins. Just to make sure he's ok."

As I gazed out over the ship, I noticed that the Captain's ears seemed to drop slightly, "Unless...that is, you want me to stay on the Bridge?"

"Oh, no. I won't stop you seeing Mr. Hawkins. Carry on, Lieutenant, I'll see you in the morning: 0730, with my coffee."

I nodded and touched the brim of my hat, "Aye Captain."

I had a feeling Jim might be on the front deck, so I headed for the stairs. As I left, I could feel the Captain's gaze on my back.

As I had thought, I found Jim on the front deck near the bow of the ship, mopping away hard, a little miniature of a mop, which could only be Morph, doing the same thing around his feet. I smiled at the scene as morph seemed to see me, before changing back to his original shape, hiccupping out a few bubbles as he did so, causing a smile to creep onto Jim's face as well, before he began to orbit my head.

"Well, this had been a fun day for you, eh Jim?" I asked innocently as I approached the cabin boy, who threw me an evil look, "Making new friends...like that Spider Psycho!"

Jim tried to stifle a laugh as Morph changed into a smaller version of Scroop, emitting the last two words I said on that squeaky voice of his.

"I little uglier," Jim said to the blob.

'Scroop' looked thoughtful for a moment, before enlarging his head slightly, and emitting a high pitched, evil laugh.

"Pretty good likeness," I said with a smile.

Jim returned the smile, "Pretty close anyway."

We laughed together as Morph shrugged. My laughter however, was cut short by Mr. Silver's large voice behind me.

"Well...Thank goodness for little miracles," he proclaimed loudly as he proceeded to tip the remnants of the stew over the side, "been up here for two hours and the Decks still in one piece,"

He noticed me and nodded respectfully, to which I returned curtly.

Jim stopped mopping for a moment, before finally deciding to say something to the Cyborg.

"Um, look, I...what you did," he paused for a moment as if to think about what to say, before sighing and giving the most simple of answers, "Thanks,"

Silver sighed and glanced at me and Morph, to which we glanced at each other.

Finally Silver sighed and laid the bowl against the side of the ship.

"Didn't your pap ever teach you to pick your fights a bit more carefully?"

Jim shot him a look, before going back to his mop.

"Your father not the teachin' sort?"

Jim sighed and turned his back on us, "No, he was more of a taking-off-and-never-coming-back sort."

"What about you Lieutenant?"

I glanced at him angrily, before answering, "mine was the Running-off-with-another-woman...sort."

"Ahh," Silver sighed and walked up to the railing, before leaning on it heavily, "Sorry lads,"

"Hey, it's no big deal, I'm doing just fine," Jim muttered leaning the mop on the railing.

"Ditto," I added.

"Is that so?" Silver rubbed his grey 3-day stubble chin in thought, before an evil look crossed his features.

"Well, Jimbo," he began, ignoring me, "Seeing the Captain has put you in my charge, like it or not I'm going to be pounding a few skills into that thick head of yours!"

Jim looked at up from his thoughts, "Wh, What?"

"From now on I'm not gonna let you outta me sights!"

"You can't do that!" Jim yelled as Silver continued.

"You won't so much as eat, sleep, or scratch your bum, with out my say so!"

"Don't do him any favours," I muttered, a small smile gracing my features.

Silver looked at me, a twinkle in his normal eye.

"Oh, you can be sure of that, Lieutenant," he said with a smile, as Jim looked at him mutinously, "You can be sure of that!"


	8. Chapter 7: Lessons Learnt

**CHAPTER 7**

**LESSONS LEARNT**

7:30 came much to early for my liking. While it was true that I had had to get up early every day to get into school and later college, that didn't mean I was good at it.

At six o'clock sharp a managed to somehow drag myself from the sheets of my bed, promptly falling on the floor as I did so.

After a quick was and brushing of my teeth, I quickly got changed into uniform, before heading off to the galley to brew some coffee.

"Ah, Good morning Danny-boy," I heard Silver call cheerily from the kitchen as I entered, " 'Tis a grand morning for sailing eh?"

I glared at him mutinously, because he had called me Danny-boy, but I gave up after five seconds. It was to early to shout.

"How can you be so cheery, so early?" I muttered as I headed over to the kettle to brew some coffee.

"Ah, takes practice lad," came the reply, "I've been a sailing for years, you get used to it after a time."

"Uh-huh." I was to tired to argue with Silver, so I brewed myself some coffee as well, just to wake me up.

"So, your dad ran off with another women did he?"

I froze, why? Why was he bringing that up?

"Yes, I believe I said that," I replied stoutly.

"Sorry Lad, just trying to make conversation."

Rolling my eyes as the kettle whistled, I poured the hot water over the coffee grains, and proceeded to drink it.

I hated coffee, but it was the only thing that managed to wake me up in the mornings.

"Good Coffee?" asked Silver.

"Good enough," I sighed, as I poured a new cup for the Captain before heading out of the Galley without a word.

I knocked on the door of the stateroom at 7:15.

I paused for a moment, waiting for the usual call I had would have gottan later in the day. When I didn't get it, I knocked again, this time a little harder. Still nothing.

Sighing slightly, I tried the lock, only to find it open.

Raising an eyebrow slightly, I pushed the door open into the Stateroom. Inside the room was dark, the only light coming from the myriad of stars through the back windows.

Setting down the coffee on the large table in front of the Captain's chair, I headed over to the door that led to her quarters.

I was hesitant on knocking on her door, I mean who knows, she might have some dark secret like talking in her sleep, or sucking her thumb while sleeping, thus ending the grand Captain façade in my eyes.

ing of what to do, I gently and hesitantly knocked on the large wooden door.

Silence.

I was sweating by now. If I knocked harder I might get in trouble, but if she wasn't awake by 7:30, it would be my head on a platter anyway.

Fearing more for my head then the Captains morning grogginess, I knocked a little louder.

Still nothing.

Now I was getting impatient. No one was that heavy sleeper, well, maybe my mother, but that was alcohol based, and a Captain should be able to wake up at a moments notice.

I gazed at the door handle, surly it couldn't hurt to peep in and see if she was all right...could it?

Slowly and apprehensively, reached the handle, turned it, and peeped inside.

Inside it was slightly darker, for the curtains were closed, so it took me a few minutes for my eyes to adjust to the light change.

From what I could see, it was a large room, about twice the size of my own on ship. The walls were entirely white, save for golden borders along the ceiling and floor. A large double bed was in the centre of the room, along with a desk in the corner furthest from the door.

Another door was directly opposite the doorway I was standing in, which no doubt led to the Captains bathroom.

As I gazed about the room, I suddenly realised there was a small lump on the bed. On closer inspection I realised it was the captain, curled up in her blankets, still fast asleep, her breathing evident as I watched her chest rise and fall beneath the sheets.

I gazed at her sleeping form for a while, her features looking not so hard and commanding.

Suddenly my eyes widened. I was standing, in the Captain's Room, watching the Captain sleep! Oh I was so dead if she woke up!

Deciding I'd rather get through this voyage in one piece, I backed slowly out of the room, before quietly closing the door, all the while my eyes on her face, in case she woke up.

After I closed the door, I sighed and glanced at my watch.

7:25. I sighed as I turned on the Stateroom lights, something I hadn't done when I had come in, before slumping onto the Piano stool in front of the Piano.

Who would have thought it would be so hard to wake up the Captain?

I glanced at the piano beside me. It wasn't a grand Piano, most likely because of the size of the Stateroom disallowed it, but a simple, small wooden one, the same colour of the doors, standing out against the white of the walls.

Out of pure curiosity, I opened the lid, to find a series of black and white keys, like the ones on pianos back home.

My curiosity reaching a peak, I casually pressed the C key.

Out came a middle C sound. To my surprise, the Piano was exactly the same, which I hadn't really expected, this not being Earth and all.

I glanced at my watch: 7:28. A sudden thought crossed my mind: Titanic.

Amelia woke up suddenly from her sleep to a haunting, yet at the same time beautiful sound coming from the Stateroom. She blinked away the sleep from her eyes, rubbed at them for a moment. She suddenly caught the smell of Coffee wafting it's way under the crack in the door.

"_The Lieutenant_," she thought to herself with a smile. As she got up, the melody seemed to reach a bit of a climax, before going softer again. She glanced at the clock beside her bed: 7:30. The man was had a very precise way of waking people up. The melody continued as she got dressed, putting on her shirt and trousers, as well as her long black boots, before heading to the door and opening it wide, the light from the Stateroom pouring in.

She lent on the doorframe slightly as her Lieutenant continued to play the melody, totally oblivious to the fact his Captain was now wide awake and listening to his music.

I continued to play 'My heart will go on,' my hands gracefully hit each key as the tune began to draw to a close.

When I finally finished playing the song, I sighed to myself. If that hadn't woken her up, nothing would.

Suddenly I heard the distinct sound of clapping behind me, almost immediately after I had finished. My face suddenly went pale as I heard the Captain's voice behind me.

"Very good Mr. Dearing, Very good indeed."

I almost fell off the stool in my hast to close the lid of the Piano, standing to attention as best as I could in the course of three seconds.

"I'm sorry Ma'am, I didn't think you were awake."

She laughed slightly, "I've been awake since 7:30 exactly Lieutenant, a very interesting song to wake up too, what is it called?"

I stared blankly for a second at her, then retook control and explained.

"It's a piece of music called 'My heart will go on' from a...motion picture."

Amelia walked up to me slowly as I explained. As she did, I noticed she wasn't actually wearing her Captain's coat. she looked very different without it. You could see her slender figure a little better. I bit my lip as she came closer, hoping she didn't realise I had been in her room.

"I see," As Amelia walked past her desk, she noticed the Coffee on it, and so proceeded to pick it up and take a long gulp from it. "You still proceed to amaze me Lieutenant," she said mildly as she sat down at her desk, "Not only are you a charming young man, your a talented musician as well."

I now turned my head and stared at her, had she just called me charming?

"Tell me, do you know how to fight?"

The question had caught me off guard slightly.

"P...pardon?"  
"You know, fighting. Fisticuffs, sword fighting, that sort of thing,"

My mind went back to by high school days, when someone would bully me at least once a day for money, or to do their homework. Sometimes I would fight back, usually I would be in Sickbay by the end of the day.

"Um, well, I know how to fight in hand-to-hand combat... sort of, and I know a bit of fencing, but that's about it really."

"I see," Amelia regarded me over the brim of her cup, "Well, how would you like to be taught?"

I blinked, "Come again?"

She sighed and walked over to her cabinet where she kept the Treasure map. As she opened it, instead of going for the little box where she kept the map, she instead went for one of the pistols that lined the back of the wall.

"Mr. Dearing, do you know what this is?" she asked, holding it up for me to see.

"It appears to be a pistol Ma'am."

"Do you know how to fire one?"

I looked at her uncertainty, "Kinda,"

She raised an eyebrow at my answer, but decided to let it go this time.

"This, is a Plasma Pistol. standard issue to all command staff. Myself and Mr. Arrow carry at least one on us at all times,"  
I raised an eyebrow at the statement, "At least?"

She shrugged, "With a crew like the one we have right now, we've got you can't be to careful. You Lieutenant are the only person not yet familiar with these arms. I'd like to teach you."

"You!?" I almost shouted, forgetting who I was talking too. Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought that the Captain of all people would offer to teach me how to work the pistols.

"Is there a problem with that Lieutenant?"

She frowned at me, as if I had offended her, which, I probably had.

I threw my hands up in defence, "No, no, no Captain, it's just...a little surprising that's all."

She looked over at me as she put the Pistol away and smiled sincerely as she approached me.

"Relax Lieutenant, it'll be a nice change from doing paperwork for six months, and it might give us the chance to...get to know each other better."

I bit my lip and looked away in distraction at the thought of getting to know the Captain better.

"Your sure it's alright with you Ma'am?" I asked, not looking at the Captain, "I mean...I don't want to be a problem."

I suddenly felt something warm underneath my chin, slowly forcing me to look directly back into her eyes. It took me a second to realise it was her finger.

"It will be no problem at all Mr. Dearing," She said with a smile and a wink, "No problem at all."


	9. Chapter 8: Friends lost, Friendships str...

**CHAPTER 8**

**FRIENDS LOST, **

**FRIENDSHIPS STRENGTHENED**

Over the next month, I took lessons from the Captain on how to fire pistols. Eventually I got rather good at it, to the point I could accurately aim and fire two pistols at the same time. After about a month in space, we moved on to Hand-to-hand combat, and then, as we entered the third month, I was taught how to fence. As well as this, Mr. Arrow also helped me with nautical expertise when I wasn't assisting the Captain, or being taught by her, and when he had the time to do so. By the third month, I was able to ably sail the Legacy quite well, as well as know how to furl and unfurl the Solar sails, and as well as how the engines worked, and how to secure a lifeboat when not in use, as well as a whole list of other things I could mention, but would take up to much time.

Jim meanwhile was learning new skills every day from Silver, who had been true to his word.

I had seen him do such things as washing the deck by hand, to flying the Longboats, a skill, I had to admit, was intriguing. His attitude towards Silver had changed also, from distrustful to a friend. I had to admit, I trusted the Cyborg a little more than I had when I first met him, though there was still something about him that I couldn't shake off, something, that didn't feel right.

I thought this blissful little world I lived in could go on forever, but, as they say, good things don't always last.

It was about a week before we found Treasure Island. Jim and Mr. Silver had taken out one of the Longboats to go and investigate a comet that was seen nearby. I myself was on my way to visit the Captain, she had requested my presence to help her with the map.

I gazed out as the Skiff shot out into the darkness of the Etherium, hoping that they would be safe.

Sighing to myself I made the afternoon coffee for the Captain, before heading up to the Stateroom.

I found her standing behind her chair, her Coat hung over the back of it, her back facing me. On the table in front of me was a Rapier, or to be more precise, my Rapier.

"Lieutenant," she acknowledged, "Please put the coffee down on the table,"

Fearing what might by coming next, I gently set the coffee down in front of the chair, as I always did.

"Now then," I noticed her hand was resting on her own Rapier at her side. It was in that split second I realised what was going to happen.

"En guard!" with a sudden cry, she suddenly whipped around, un-sheathing her weapon as she did so.

In the same second, my hand shot towards my rapier I was borrowing from the Captain, and swung it up to meet hers, resulting in a clash of metal.

She smiled wickedly at me, "Very good Lieutenant,"

I returned the smile, "Learnt from the best Ma'am,"

I pushed off her blade, and a resulting clash was met as we exchanged blows.

"I see," Amelia commented as we paused briefly, "Remind me to find this exceptional fellow so I can meet him or her."

Suddenly she lunged at me, followed by the sound of steel on steel as he continuous blow after blow as she slowly backed me against the wall.

"Tsk, Tsk Mr. Dearing, that was far to easy! I was expecting more of a challenge from you!"

She now had me fully backed up against the wall, our swords crossed, her face a hands breadth away.

"Do you surrender Lieutenant?" she asked innocently, a glint in her Emerald eyes.

I smiled evilly at her. "In your dreams...Ma'am!"

In one swift move I forced her blade off my own, before releasing my own attack on her, catching her completely off guard and forcing her into retreat.

Suddenly I made my final lunge at her, intending to finish this duel once and for all.

In order to dodge this attack, the Captain was forced to take a step back. Unfortunately, in her haste to get away from my blade, she suddenly tripped over her own feet.

Out of instinct I quickly dropped my Rapier and rushed to catch her. I just got to her before she hit the floor, barely.

The Captain appeared stunned at the sudden stop. She had expected to hit the floor, not be caught in my arms.

I myself was a little stunned. She regarded me with surprise.

It took me a minute to realise just how close we actually were. The only part of her I could see clearly was her eyes.

Being this close to her, I could now see her eyes weren't just Emerald green, but had small flecks of lighter and darker greens mixed in, her eyes were...deep. Very deep.

Suddenly my eyes widened as I realised what I was thinking.

Quickly I closed my eyes and turned away, the heat prickling up in my cheeks.

"Why Lieutenant," I heard the Captain say, the amusement evident in her voice, "I do believe your blushing!"

"Well...with all due respect Ma'am, I don't exactly hold...um," I paused, unsure of what to say that would get me thrown off the ship, "B...beautiful women in my arms on a daily basis..."

I suddenly clamped my mouth shut as I realised what I had just said.

I closed my eyes and braced myself for the strong reprimand that I was bound to about to get.

Instead what I heard was the sound of giggling.

"You seem embarrassed Lieutenant, tell me, why are you embarrassed? Here you are, a 'beautiful' woman in your arms, and your all shy!"

Is she had been anybody else I would have dropped her there and then. However, she was the Captain, and I was being played by her wit. So I sighed, and brought her to her feet again, if anything to stop myself from feeling embarrassed.

"You do realise that if I hadn't caught you would have fallen on your butt...Ma'am." I said mildly as I tried to detach my hands from around her waist.

She said nothing, just gazed into my dark eyes, not letting me remove my arms.

"Oh, I don't think you would let me fall Lieutenant," she said mildly, the twinkle in her eye making me realise she was playing with my feelings, "Your far to gentlemanly for that!"

I was about to answer when suddenly the ship rocked violently and a bright white light suddenly poured through the back windows.

Amelia suddenly returned to her Captain stance and ran to the window, with me in pursuit.

Out side the window, we could see what appeared to be a mushroom cloud blasting out in two directions.

"My God," I whispered.

"I have to get to the Bridge," Amelia muttered as she grabbed her Coat and headed towards the Stateroom door, with me following behind her, my hat left forgotten on the table.

"Good heavens," I heard the Doctor from above as the Captain and myself got up on deck, "The Star Pelusa.

IT'S GONE...SUPERNOVA!!!"

"EVASIVE ACTION MR. TURNBUCKLE!!!" the Captain cried as she ran up the stairs to the bridge, the shockwaves of the original blast coming up fast.

"Aye Captain!" the Helmsmen cried as he spun the wheel to the right in order to try and evade the upcoming waves.

I knew what to do, Mr. Arrow had told me what to do in a storm.

"ALL HANDS, FASTEN YOUR LIFELINES!" I bellowed as I followed the Captain onto the bridge.

From there I watched as the crew made their ways to the main masts, grabbing a rope coiled there and tying it around their waists, making sure the line was securely tied to the mast. I was glad to see Jim and Silver were among the crew, I would hate to see what would happen to a Longboat in the shock wave of an exploding star.

I turned in horror as I saw the first shockwave loom behind us, obscuring everything in a wall of bright orange light.

I watched as it came closer, before it overtook the ship, encasing her on a fiery cocoon, debris smashing into the ship as it did so. Even up on the bridge, I swore I could hear the windows of the Stateroom shatter.

Most of the Crew were still fastening their lifelines, save for the Captain, Mr. Turnbuckle and myself, who were on the Bridge.

"Gunners, Man your Stations, keep as much Debris as you can from hitting us!" I shouted over the deafening noise of the pieces of star stuff screaming overhead.

A few of the crew nodded at me, and ran to the Laser Cannons on the starboard side of the ship.

I looked up as I heard the sound of tearing material as small chunks of Pelusa the size of my fist shot through the Solar Sails.

"MR. ARROW!" I called to my friend, "SECURE THOSE SAILS IF YOU WILL!"

Arrow looked like he was going to tell me not to order him about then changed his mind, instead giving me a nod and bellowing over to the crew.

"SECURE ALL SAILS! REEF THEM DOWN MEN!"

Now another half of the crew began to scale the rigging and bringing down the sails. I watched for a moment as Jim and Silver ran to the bowsprit of the ship to secure the jib, but then something caught my eye, a rather large something. A chunk of Star stuff, bigger than our own moon, hurtling towards us at an incredible rate!

"Um, Captain," I warned, "I think we have a problem,"  
She looked where I was pointing and her expression became stony and hard.

"Oh, Blast it all!" she cursed as I joined her on the starboard side of the Bridge.

"There's no way we can out run it," I thought aloud desperately.

"I know," the Captain sighed in defeat as the Gunners tried and failed to blast the large chunk to smaller pieces, "I guess we won't find Treasure Planet after all."

She turned to me and held out her hand. "It was an honour to serve with you Lieutenant."

I was about to convey the honour back to her, when I looked back at the molten hunk of star coming towards us, it's surface bubbling and steaming threateningly. At the last moment, when it was what felt like metres away, the heat radiating off it, it slowly rolled, before going back the way it had come.

I glanced at the Captain, who looked back, the fear not evident on her face, but the thought of what had caused the Star stuff to make a hasty retreat evident on her features.

I looked out grimly as the molten ball began to pick up it's retreat, thus stopping it from obscuring our entire line of sight.

As Doppler joined us on the Starboard Balcony I heard Onus, the Ships lookout, cried out: "Captain! The STAR!!!"

Amelia and I exchanged dark glances as the Doctor gasped out what we were all thinking.

"It's Devolving into a..." his voice suddenly caught in his throat, "A Black Hole!"

"We're Being Pulled In!" Turnbuckle screamed as the pull of the Wheel suddenly threw him off the Bridge entirely.

"Oh, No you Don't!" I suddenly made a grab for the spinning wheel, bringing the ship to a would be straight line.

I suddenly felt something warm against on top of my hands.

On glancing down, I realised that the Captain had managed to sneak under my arms, and was now helping me steady the wheel.

She glanced up at me, and flashed a bit of a cocky smile.

"Thought you could use a hand Lieutenant! "she shouted over the noise, "Or maybe two!"

I returned the smile, "Thank you Captain!"

The ship was being tossed and turned like a bottle in a stormy ocean. Suddenly I saw a large wave of yellow and orange flare up from the Black hole, throwing everyone on deck to the floor.

"Blast these waves!" The Captain cursed as we tried to steady the Legacy, "They're are so deucedly erratic!"

"No Captain they're not erratic at all!" Doppler called from the Navigation console, "They'll be one more in precisely 47.2 seconds...followed by the biggest magilla of them all!"

Amelia's eyes widened with realisation.

"Of course! Brilliant Doctor! We'll ride that last magilla out of here!"

"All sails secure Captain!" I heard Arrow call from below.

"Good Man!" She shouted back, "Now, release them immediately!"

Arrow hesitated, before saluting. "Aye...Captain."

"You heard her Men!" He bellowed across the deck, "UNFURL THOSE SAILS!!!"

I watched as the unruly crew, still complaining from having just tying down the sails, once more scale the rigging, this time Mr. Arrow joining them.

"Mr. Harkins!" she called as she spied Jim about to scale the rigging, "Make sure all lifelines are secured good and tight."

"Aye Aye Captain!" came the reply.

"Captain," I called over the howling as the Black Hole continued to suck in everything around it, "If this insane plan doesn't work we're all dead!"

"And if this does work, we'll be the first ship in the history of the navy to have escaped a Black Hole!" she called back.

"Lifelines Secure Captain!" I heard Jim's voice through the winds.

"Very good!"

As we sunk down into the eternal darkness of the Black hole, another wave rammed into the ship, throwing myself and the Captain away from the Wheel, Amelia slamming me against the mast.

"Oh, Mr. Dearing!" I could here the genuine concern in her voice and felt a hand against my face as she made sure I was conscious, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I muttered as I got up, ignoring the mild pain in my back, "Come on, this ship isn't going to get out of this without someone at the helm."

She gazed at me intently, the worry in her eyes severely indenting her Captain's Façade. Finally she nodded and helped me to my feet and together we once again took up the wheel.

"Captain, The last Wave!" Doppler cried out in fear, "HERE IT COMES!!!"

"HOLD ONTO YOUR LIFELINES GENTS, IT'S GONNA BE A BUMPY RIDE!!!"

As we made our final decent into the dark abyss, I felt Amelia's hands tighten over mine. Instinctively I tightened my arm muscles around her, as if to protect her from the hole. As we continued to fall, the Captain and I swung the ship so the Bow faced towards the opening, to the Open Etherium.

For a few seconds there was nothing but darkness, then.

BANG!

A bright light flashed behind us, flowing out of the Black Hole like water out of a narrow glass.

The Solar Sails were suddenly filled with power and I felt the ship lurch forward was we rocketed upwards out of the Hole.

The crew was thrown to the back of the ship, the Doctor got caught in a tangle of rope, but we all had survived, that's what counted.

I closed my eyes and heaved a sigh of relief as the crew yelled and catcalled in delight.

"Well done Lieutenant," I heard the Captain say, the relief evident in her voice.

"Thank you Ma'am," I replied, as she ducked under my arm and took out a piece of navigation equipment from her coat.

"Captain! Oh, oh my goodness," Doppler started to ramble as he attempted to detangle himself from the rope. After watching him for a few seconds, I realised he was getting no where so decided to help him.

"Oh, thank you Daniel my boy," the doctor gazed about for a moment looking for Amelia.

"Oh, Captain! That was absolutely...that was the most... that was the..."

"Oh Tish Tosh," the Captain waved it off mildly as she gazed into the instrument, "Actually Doctor your astronomical advice was most helpful."

She gave him a small smile over her shoulder, before handing me the instrument and heading down the stairs, leaving the Doctor with his mouth hung open in surprise.

"Hey, she gave you a compliment!" I said, mildly amused.

"Well...uh...Thank you! Thank you very much" Doppler finally found his voice before going back to his usual tone of voice, all high and mighty, "Well I have lot of help to offer anatomically...amanamonically...As...astronomically."

He slapped his forehead at his slipping of the tongue. Feeling totally and utterly stupid.

"Having problems are we Doctor?" I asked innocently as he peeked through his fingers.

"Well I must err...congratulate you Mr. Silver," The captain said in her usual commanding voice as she got to the foot of the stairs, "It seems your Cabin Boy did a bang up job with those lifelines."

I smiled as Silver nudged Jim light-heartedly, who proceeded to shove the Cyborg's immense bulk back. After a few minutes I caught his eye and gave him a wink.

After watching the two of them for a while Amelia got back to business.

"All hands accounted for Mr. Arrow?" she called to the first Officer.

She was greeted with silence.

"Mr. Arrow?"

She glanced up at me, a questioning look in her eyes.

I shrugged at her, I didn't know where he was.

At that moment I heard the sound of hissing that could only mean one person: Scroop. And where there was Scroop, there was trouble.

He came up to the captain, his yellow eyes shining with what I thought was feigned sorrow. Then I saw Arrow's hat in his claws.

"I'm afraid...Mr. Arrow has been lost," he said sadly as he handed her the hat.

I felt my heart lodge itself in my throat. No, he had to be lying.

I could see the look in her Amelia's eyes, and knew that she was thinking the same thing as she took it.

"His lifeline was not secured." The Rigger continued as all eyes fell on Jim.

"No I checked them all!" Jim barged through the crew to the main mast, as if to prove his point, only to find that one of the ropes was indeed missing.

"I...I did...I checked them all," he said in disbelief, "They were secure, I swear."

He looked at the Captain, who showed nothing in her narrowed eyes, then to me.

I was inclined to agree with him. But I had been busy piloting the ship with the Captain, and so had not actually seen him securing the lifelines. I gazed back at him, knowing there was nothing I could do to say in his defence.

I heard the Captain through my thoughts as she said her final words about her First officer, and friend.

"Mr. Arrow was a..." she tried to clear her throat as her voice got caught in it, "Fine Spacer. Finer than most of us...could ever hope to be."

I exchanged a dark glance with Doppler as she continued, "but he knew the risks, as do we all. Resume your posts...we carry on."

I watched as she turned around to go up the steps as the crew went back to their duties, only to stop halfway up, Closing her eyes and hiding her face.

"Lieutenant Dearing!" she finally called out to me, louder than she had anticipated, "The Bridge is yours...I will be in my Stateroom...do not disturb me."

I nodded as she walked as calmly as she could to her Stateroom, slamming the door behind her.

The Doctor glanced at me sadly.

"It...is a great shame," he said softly.

I didn't reply. A whole lot of different thoughts were wiring through my mind. Thoughts of anger, hate, suffering sadness, I felt like throttling Scroop and making him tell me what happened.

I sighed and gazed out as the remnants of Pelusa was flung into deep space, the rest being sucked up by the Black Hole that had taken it's place.

Closing my eyes I leaned heavily on the railing, knowing what she must be going through right now. I had lost relatives that I had held dear to my heart, now all dead. The rest, as I said before, didn't want to know about me and my disgraced mother.

Slowly I walked towards the stairs and slowly headed for the Galley.

"Hey, where do you think your going?" the Doctor asked curiously, "The Captain left you command."

I sighed as I reached the bottom of the stairs, looking up at the Doctor, before looking at the Helmsmen.

"Mr. Turnbuckle, will you have the Bridge for a while...There's something...I have to do."

"Aye Aye, Lieutenant." came the reply.

"What is it you have to do?" I heard the Doctor ask as I came to the top of the stairs leading to the galley.

"Something I turn to whenever I loose someone I hold dear."

I said with a sigh as I gazed forlornly at Doppler,

"Lemon Tea."

Five minutes later, I was outside the Captains Stateroom, a cup of the nearest thing I could get to Lemon tea on ship in my hands.

As I approached the door, I wondered if I was doing the right thing. She said she wanted to be left alone, but it was at times like these you shouldn't be alone.

Holding a cup and saucer in one hand, I rapped as loudly as I could before peeping through the door, which, to my surprise, was unlocked.

The room was a mess.

The back windows had almost been totally smashed, black scorch marks marked the edges of the back wall.

Small chunks of star stuff littered the room, and it wasn't until I almost stepped on it did I realise my own hat was charred and burned beyond repair.

Sitting in her chair, a desolate empty look in her eyes, was the captain.

Her face was pale, her hair seemed dishevelled slightly, as though she had been running her hands through it. In both hands sat Mr. Arrow's hat, as though it was something sacred.

At the sound of the closing door she looked up suddenly. Realising it was me she quickly put the hat to one side and tried to smile, managing it only half heartedly.

"Oh, Lieutenant," she sniffed before noticing the cup in my hands, "Is it time for afternoon coffee already?"

I smiled as best I could, placing the cup and saucer in front of her.

"No Ma'am, I'm afraid you missed coffee. This is something I usually drink at such a time as this. It's called: lemon tea...or rather, the best thing I could come up with on ship. It's actually Purp Tea, but you'd be surprised how much it tastes the same."

She tried to smile again, before pushing the tea away.

"Thank you for your concern Lieutenant, but I'm fine. Tip-top in fact."

I raised an eyebrow from retrieving the tattered remains of my hat from the floor. When she pushed the tea away, I just pushed back.

"With all due respect Ma'am. If your fine right now, then I've been sailing Solar Ships since the dawn of time. Now drink up, you'll feel better."

She glared at me, trying to outstare me, but in the end gave up and took a sip from the cup.

After a minute she finally set the cup down.

"Now am I supposed to feel better?" she asked.

I smiled, "No. Now you talk."

"Talk?"

"When one of the relatives I held dear to me died, I would usually head over to my optician. There I would just sit and talk. I would shout, I would scream, I would sob, and I would cry. But afterwards, I felt a whole lot better, and I moved on."

She looked at me sadly, then slumped in her chair.

"There's nothing to talk about Lieutenant. Arrow is dead and under my command. I should deal with it on my own. No one should share the burden I am going through right now."

She glared at me suddenly, "We went through thick and thin together. We were everything together and nothing alone. Now he is gone, and I am alone. I alone will mourn for him. No one else. Just me."

She held her head in one hand, clearly wanting to be left alone, but I wasn't going to let my Captain fall into a pit of depression for the rest of her life.

I grabbed her shoulder and turned her to face me, forcing her to listen.

"Now you listen to me, _Amelia_." I growled, emphasizing her name slightly, "You think you were the only person on ship that cared for Mr. Arrow? Without him, I don't think I would have had the knowledge to pilot this ship out of that Black Hole. He was my friend also, and while I only knew him for a few short months, I considered him, like you," I poked her in the chest, "one of the best friends I ever had. And one thing else: I knew him well enough to know that he would _not_ want you to be sitting round here, moping your head off for the rest of the voyage. He would want you to go out there, find Treasure Planet, and get on with your life, and if you cared for him as much as you say you do, then you would honour him by doing that much."

She gazed at me angrily, before getting up from her chair and squaring off to me.

"If you were any other man Lieutenant," she began, "I would have you thrown in the Brig, for talking to me like that,"

Her face faltered and she looked away from me, "But your not any other man. You're a man...that's right."

I looked at my Captain, the woman I had come to respect and stand by on this voyage, now a wreck, broken by the fall of her First Officer.

Slowly, tentatively, I gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

She looked down at it, then up to my face.

I watched as the Captain's Façade that she put on in front of the crew, now crumbled and fell in my eyes, as one single tear slowly rolled down her cheek.

She then collapsed onto my shoulder and started sobbing into my tunic.

I held her tight in my arms, soothing her quietly and rubbing her back to calm her.

"I...I can't do this," she whispered in my ear between sobs, "I can't do this without him,"

"Yes you can," I murmured back, "I'm here for you. I'll stand by you in your time of need."

She said nothing after that, she just continued to cry her sorrows away. I held her close to me, rubbing her back with my right hand, my other firmly clasped in her own.

How long we stood there I didn't know. After what felt like half an hour I heard her ragged breathing slowly become calmer and more rhythmic. I also felt her lean more heavily on me than before. It took me a second to realise that she had finally fallen asleep, and I was glad. A good night's sleep would do her good. Gently, I slowly detached my hand from hers, and slowly hooked my arm under her legs, taking her quietly to her bedroom.

I was glad to see that her quarters had remained unscathed, the only damage being the windows were blacked by soot. As I laid her down on the bed, I realised she might feel uncomfortable, sleeping entirely in uniform. As gently and as quietly as I could, I took off her Coat, gloves and boots, before bringing the sheets up to her shoulders.

I took a moment to gaze fondly at her sleeping form, her chest slowly rising and falling like before, her face now looking calmer then when I had come in.

Hesitating only for a moment, I gently leaned down and brushed a bit of hair out of Amelia's face, before turning to the door, and closing it softly behind me.

The Next day, Amelia woke up to the sound of her Stateroom door being closed, a quick glance at her clock told her it was 8:30, She had over slept!

She sat up quickly, only to realise that she was still in partial uniform. Just then the moments of last night came flooding back to her, the 'lemon' tea, the talking to the...

She put her hand to her mouth as she realised what she had done, she had cried in front of Mr. Dearing! No, worse, she had broken down on his shoulder! Her Captain's Façade was now lost on him! But instead of feeling despair, she surprised herself in feeling relived.

The young Lieutenant had come to her in her time of need. When Arrow was no longer around, he had come to her aid.

Suddenly, a particular scent suddenly wafted under the door, a scent she loved to wake up too.

Coffee.

Gently slipping out of the door of her quarters, she found to her surprise that the Stateroom had been cleaned and repaired to the best use of the ships facilities, and sitting on her desk, directly in front of her chair, sat a hot cup of coffee. She smiled herself as she approached it and settled down in her chair. Suddenly she realised that there was something underneath the cup.

It was a note.

Her curiosity now peaking, she read the note as she drank her coffee

_Dear Captain Amelia_

_I hope you slept well after your ordeal last night, and I hope you don't mind I let you sleep in late._

_As you can see I had the Stateroom completely repaired, and your coffee, waiting for you, as always._

_The main reason I am writing this is to tell you that I am here for you should you need me. I know I am not Mr. Arrow, and I know that I could never replace him, but I do want to help you, and I will be there for you, no matter what, should you need me._

_Yours faithfully,_

_Lieutenant Daniel K. Dearing._

She sighed happily as she read the note through again. It was good to know he cared. It made her feel...happy inside.

When she finished her coffee, she went back into her quarters, before taking a quick shower and changing into a fresh uniform.

She sighed again as she read the note through again as she headed for the door.

Instead of throwing it away as she past the waste basket, she instead put it in her pocket, before opening the door onto the deck, and stepping out into the light, ready to face the challenges of the day.


	10. Chapter 9: Pirates Minus Friendship Equa...

**CHAPTER 9**

**PIRATES MINUS FRIENDSHIP EQUALS BETRAYAL **

Two and a half weeks later we finally caught site of Treasure Planet.

I was in the Captain's Stateroom at the time, going over the basics for rifle handling.

I had noticed, that since Mr. Arrow's death, Captain Amelia had been a whole lot more...well, physical with me, and I'm not talking brute force.

Right now, no matter what I did, I could not seem to fire the Rifle, set to practice of course, directly at the holographic target I was supposed to be destroying.

After about 3 tries, the Captain suddenly grabbed me round the shoulders, and aligned me stance, straightening my arms, and looking down the barrel while I was still in stance, causing our heads to be a mere hairs-width away.

Another thing I noticed, was that recently, I had become more and more uncomfortable by being so close to the Captain. It wasn't a bad feeling, just confused sort of feeling.

With Amelia's help I was able to accurately fire a bull's-eye twice in a row.

Suddenly Doppler burst through the Stateroom door.

"LAND HO!" he cried, "LAND H...Ahh!" in his hurriedness to find us, the poor Doctor had tripped over his own feet, falling to the floor, much to myself and the Captain's amusement.

"I take it from your...erm, enthusiasm, that we have reached Treasure Planet?" The Captain asked innocently.

"Oh, well yes," the doctor muttered bashfully as he dusted himself down and closed the door behind him, "Mr. Onus just gave the call he..."

Just then the banged open again, this time it was Jim, followed by Morph. As soon as they got through, Jim, slammed the door behind him and bolted it shut.

"Mr. Hawkins!" the Captain thundered, "what in God's name do you think your..."

"Pirates!" Jim gasped as he tried to catch his breath, "the whole crew are pirates. Silver's the Leader."

"Beware the Cyborg," I whispered to myself, I had been right.

Quickly I coked my rifle, setting it to kill and slinging it over my shoulder as Amelia strode over to her Cabinet with a passion and a dangerous look in her eye.

"Pirates on my ship, I'll see they all hang!" she sneered as she loaded two pistols and threw them to me, followed by another one sent the Doppler's way.

"Doctor, familiar with these?" she asked as she threw me my Rapier and made a grab for the Treasure Map.

I quickly holstered my Pistols, and sheathed my Rapier onto my belt, the Doctor meanwhile was holding his weapon by the butt with two fingers as though it was a bomb.

"Oh, I've seen, err," he paused, leaning in to inspect the Pistol, before holding it more casually, "Well I've read about..."

BANG!

The pistol in his hands suddenly went off, shattering the globe just behind the Captain.

Doppler quickly dropped the pistol in case it fired again as Amelia's face drained of colour at her near miss.

"Uh no. No, No I'm not." The Doctor said sheepishly.

The Captain sighed as she withdrew the Map.

"Lieutenant, please give the Doctor a 3 second crash course in pistol handling, Mr. Hawkins! defend this with your life."

As she spoke she threw the sphere to Jim, only for it to be caught by Morph in his over enlarged mouth.

"MORPH!" Jim cried desperately as he tried to wrestle it out of the Shape shifters clasp, "GIMME THAT!"

Thinking quickly I grabbed Silvers pet in my hands, making him drop the map in surprise into Jim's open hands.

As I did this I caught a glance at the Stateroom door. What I saw made me let go of Morph in surprise.

The lock was beginning to glow red hot.

"Oh....Oh my!" The doctor gasped, "we're trapped,"

"not for long." I muttered as I whipped out my pistols and aimed them at the floor.

"I'm sorry Doctor but it appears we'll have to cut our lesson short!"

Before anyone could object, I let off two shots from my pistols, blasting a large hole in floor.

Satisfied with the result, I holstered by pistols as the Captain inspected my handiwork.

"This corridor will take us to the Launch Bay," she said with amazement, "How did you..."

"Ma'am, My Quarters are directly below your Cabinet, I worked it out where the corridor would be."

She shook her head in disbelief, "You never cease to amaze me Lieutenant," she said as she climbed down through the hole.

I smiled as Jim and Doppler followed (The Doctor fell through the hole) the Captain as I brought up the rear,

"Thank you Captain,"

We ran through the Legacy's twisting corridors, first the Captain, then Jim, then the Doctor, then me, blasting pipes, storage bay locks, and anything else that could slow down the following Pirates with one pistol, and helping the Doctor every time he fell over the barrels that cluttered up the hallways with the other.

As we neared the Launch Bay, I suddenly heard a roar so loud it shook the piping overhead. Looking back I saw the gigantic form of Mr. Hands, the Giant Deckhand, along with several other s of the once loyal crew.

Knowing that we wouldn't have time to escape if I didn't do something, an idea suddenly clicked in my brain.

Stopping suddenly, I pulled the second Pistol from it's holster, locking both arms and aimed directly down the centre of the narrow corridor.

"EAT MY BLASTER FIRE YOU NEOPHYTES!!!" a bellowed as I let loose a barrage of purple plasma down the corridor, causing the Pirates to scuttle for cover and Hands to crouch where he was for his tough skin on his back to deflect the fire.

I smiled to myself as I slowly backed down the corridor, fire off so many shots that my enemy couldn't return it.

As I reached the intersection that led to the Launch bay, I quickly shot two of the pipes nearby, sending a billowing cloud of smoke in front of me.

I smiled as I spun the pistols round my trigger fingers before holstering them again.

"Be seeing you!" I called into the smoke, before running down the stairs to the Launch Bay, as I heard a roar from within the smoke.

I saw the Captain at the door way, ready to lock it as soon as I got through. Running as fast as I could I grabbed the Doctor from the floor as I passed, for he had tripped in his hastiness to get down the stairs.

"Thank you," he squeaked as Amelia slammed the door in the Pirates faces, frying the lock with her rifle.

"To the Longboats quickly!" I heard her call as I ran for the Launch Bay door control, while the Doctor and Jim scrambled on board.

Without wasting time I quickly pulled the Leaver down with all my might while the Captain somersaulted into the Longboat, reloading her rifle as she did so.

"Captain should I blast the controls?" I called.

"While if we had the time I would agree Lieutenant, we don't have the time, their breaking through!"

True to her word, a bright spark was slowly making it's way along the edges of the door leading back to the corridor.

As soon I realised what was happening I nodded and quickly followed the Captain to the longboat, before swinging myself over and into the boat, pistols ready.

At that moment Morph once again spied the map in Jim's back pocket, and with lightning speed, grabbed it, before playfully flying around Jim as he tried to catch him.

"Morph! No!" Jim flailed his arms about as he tried to catch the blob of mischief. Eventually Morph was out of his reach, forcing him to jump out of the boat to catch him.

Suddenly the door we had come through was blasted from it's doorway, followed by myriad plasma bolts.

"CHEW ON THIS YOU PUS-FILLED BOILS!!!" I heard the Captain yell as she let loose a barrage of fire from her rifle while the Doctor cowered in the bottom of the boat.

"We don't have time for this." I muttered under my breath.

Gazing about I suddenly saw something that could help us.

Waiting for the right moment, suddenly there was a brief pause in the fire fight. As quickly as I could I unsung the rifle from my back, loaded it and aimed for a piece of equipment hung above the walkway.

As the pirates flooded the walkway leading to our boat, I prayed that my brief practice with the thing had paid off, aimed one more time, and fired.

The plasma bolt shot out of the barrel and collided with the slim support that had been holding the equipment there.

There was a crackle of electricity as the heavy object fell from it's moorings, and through the walkway, taking the pirates with it, screaming and writhing to the planet below.

Amelia looked over the side in disbelief and then at me.

"Did you actually aim for that?" she asked.

I smiled at her smugly, "You know, actually I did."

She smiled back and was about to reply, when suddenly another blaster bolt ripped through the silence.

Quickly we both ducked behind the engine, me taking the Doctor along with me.

Suddenly we heard a grinding noise below us.

As the Captain, glanced down at the rapidly closing door below us, I saw a slither of red light near the Door Control, followed by a large bulky body slowly disappearing into the darkness.

My eyes narrowed, "Silver,"

"Ah, blast it," Amelia cursed as our only chance of escape rapidly closed in front of our eyes.

Suddenly she looked up at the cables holding the boat in place.

"Mr. Dearing, when I say 'now' shoot out the forward cable, I'll take this one,"

I nodded and aimed my rifle, while the Doctor tried to keep the fresh wave of pirates burst through the remains of the door.

"Come on, Jim. We don't have much time," I muttered to myself, my aim always on the cable.

Suddenly I saw Jim jump off the remains of the walkway.

"NOW!"

Without much thought for the consequences, I pulled the trigger of my rifle, totally severing he cable.

I felt the ship lurch as it fell from it's moorings, catching on the edge of the door.

As I felt the boat slowly tip off the edge of the door, I heard a thump as Jim landed on the wrong side of the boat.

As we the small boat screamed down towards the planet, the Doctor pulled in his friend into the boat while I set the ship through the procedures that hadn't been done before we left.

"Parameters Met, Hydraulics Engaged," I called as I opened the Solar Sail and punched in a few keys that Arrow had shown me on the voyage here, "We have a go,"

I settled down as the Captain nodded, taking up the tiller.

"Lieutenant, you have my permission to kill anyone on ship manning laser cannons. Use this."

From her belt she produced a small cylinder.

I realised it was a clip on scope for the rifle.

"Aye Captain," I shouted over the screaming winds over head as I slapped the scope onto my rifle and aimed for the ship.

All seemed quiet, then I saw movement on one of the cannons.

"Dammit, I can't get a good shot!" I yelled as we rapidly descended.

"They shouldn't fire at us anyway, we have the Map," Jim called back.

Suddenly I saw a flash of purple emanate from the controlled cannon, and I felt the colour drain from my face.

"CAPTAIN!" I heard the Doctor yell, "LASER BALL AT TWELVE O'CLOCK!"

I lowered my rifle and braced myself as the Captain tried her best to move the Boat out of the way.

It almost missed us...almost.

The Longboat suddenly rocked as the engine exploded, throwing Amelia against the tiller next to me.

A look of pain exploded across her face as she clutched her side, but only for a few moments.

Without the engine the ship began to fall to the planets surface.

The Captain did her best to keep the nose of the ship up, as we continued to plummet.

Soon I could make out some weird mushroom like objects littering the ground. As we fell we skimmed over most of them as the Captain tried to keep the boat in a straight line.

Suddenly one of the mushrooms appeared out of nowhere, and we collided with it, heading straight through it, no hint of slowing down.

As we finally hit the ground, the boat hit it nose first, capsizing it and taking the mast out completely.

Acting on instinct, I grabbed the bench to stop any major injuries until finally, the boat ground to a halt with a small sigh.

The was a silence for a moment, before finally, with the help of Jim, I managed to shove the boat off our heads.

"What was that Jim?" I asked, the sarcasm dripping from my voice, "They shouldn't fire at us anyway because we have the map? Clearly pirates don't think on the same wavelength as you!"

"Oh, give it a rest Dan," Jim muttered back as he rubbed the back of his neck as he got up.

"Oh, My goodness," Doppler breathed quietly, That was more fun then I ever want to have again."

"Well, that wasn't one of my gossamer landings Doctor," Amelia said with as small smile as she stood up.

Suddenly she gasped in pain and crumpled to the floor, clutching her side.

"Captain!" I cried as I rushed to her side, helping her up again.

"Oh, Don't fuss," she muttered through gritted teeth as she tried to shake me off, only to fall back on me again, "A slight bruising that's all, a cup of tea and I'll be as right as rain."

She stood up as straight as she could and brushed a few small locks of hair out of her face.

"Mr. Hawkins," she said, addressing Doppler.

A silence followed as she tried to focus her eyes. Realising she had made a mistake she quickly turned to Jim and held our her hand, "The Map, if you please?"

Jim nodded and delved into his pocket, retrieving the sphere from his pocket.

He sighed in relief as he found it.

Suddenly the Map began to hover above his hand, before splitting up into various different pieces.

These pieces suddenly melted into a pink, squishy blob. A blob that was now laughing it's head off at Jim.

"MORPH?!" Jim cried in despair as the shape shifter flew around his head playfully, "MORPH WHERE'S THE MAP?!"

Morph stopped near my head, before splitting into two objects, the map, and a coil of rope.

"I have feeling it's back on the ship," I sighed as the blob nuzzled my face in an attempt to get off being scolded, before whizzing round Jims head as he furiously tried catch him.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS IT'S BACK ON THE SHIP!?!" he yelled as he ran after Morph.

A sudden low rumbling sound caught the Captain's attention.

"Stifle that blob and get low," she muttered as she hid behind the wreckage of the boat, rifle at the ready, "We've got company."

I looked up as I hid with the Captain. Sure enough, the other longboat was sailing overhead, towards a thin pillar of smoke, no doubt from where the remnants of the engine had landed.

The Captain gazed over the edge of the boat, watching as the pirates flew overhead.

As the engine died away, Amelia stood up, using her rifle as support, the pain evident on her features.

"We need a more defensible position," she decided, taking a pistol from her belt, "Mr. Hawkins, Scout ahead."

Jim took the pistol, Morph looking worriedly from me,

to Jim, to the pistol.

"Aye Captain," he said at last, "Come on Morph, lets find a place to hide."

As he left, the Captain let out another gasp of pain and collapsed into my arms.

"Steady! Steady." I said carefully as I laid her down on the ground.

I looked up after Jim as he disappeared down behind a ridge, the pink form of Morph following close behind.

"Until Jim gets back, we are venerable to the Pirates out here," I thought aloud to myself. I gazed at the doctor, who was looking Nervously around at the thought of a pirate popping out of the bushes. The man was a Doctor, but I doubt he had any medical knowledge.

"Doctor?" I asked, he just kept looking around, "Dr. Doppler?" I asked again, still no response. I decide to take an approach I used with the Captain.

"Hey Delbert!" he looked around at me stunned.

"You used my first name?" he said blankly.

"Clever Doctor," I said sarcastically as I took a pistol from my belt, and checked to make sure it was loaded, "Go hide in those bushes over there, and give us a whistle, or a bird call or something if someone comes."

I handed him the Pistol, which he took a bit more calmly then when he had when the Captain had thrown him one earlier.

He gave me a small smile, and gave a little salute.

"Aye Aye Lieutenant," he said quietly before heading over to the bushes to hide.

I smiled after him, before turning back to the Captain, who was trying to sit up again, only to fall back again, clasping her side.

"Easy now," I said quickly as I knelt beside her, "Or your only going to make it worse. Now, lets have a look at that."

She regarded me with amusement, "Are you a Doctor now as well Lieutenant?" she asked.

I smiled down at her, "No, but I did take a First Aid course last year, I know what I'm doing."

She raised an eyebrow at me as she tried to sit up, "Thank you for your concern Mr. Dearing, but it is not nessi..." she scrunched up her face and fell back, this time my hand was ready to catch her head.

I sighed and took my glasses off to rub my eyes. This woman was sure persistent.

"Captain," I said quietly as I put my glasses back on, "With all due respect, I want to help you. Please, I know what I'm doing. Or do I have to stun you to help you?"

She gave me a small smile, before sighing and settling down, closing her eyes.

"Do...what ever you have to do Lieutenant," she murmured.

Nodding to her, and before she could change her mind, I quickly bent over her and began to undo the gold buttons on her coat, making sure not to touch anything I shouldn't.

Once I had done this, I gently opened up the coat, revealing the white roll neck underneath.

So far, I had seen no blood, always a good sign, but just because I hadn't seen any so far, didn't mean there wasn't any. I had to me sure.

"Um...Ma'am? I have to err...erm..."

She opened her eyes and gazed at me, noticing a slight tinge of pink creep up my cheeks.

"Lieutenant?"   
"I have to err...remove, LIFT!" I corrected myself, realising how Delbert must feel like every time he had a slipping of the tongue, "Lift, that's the one. Lift your um...shirt up A LITTLE! Yes, just a little. To erm...check properly for signs of injury...if you don't mind...Ma'am."

She smiled at my stuttering, before closing her eyes and settling down once more.

"You may proceed Mr. Dearing. I know you will keep it professional."

I sighed in relief, running a hand through my hair.

"Thank you Ma'am," I said, resuming my usual tone of voice.

Slowly I reached down to the hem of the shirt, and lifted it up gently, just enough for it to reveal her midriff.

Her skin, not surprisingly, was the same colour as her face.

It was the same beige colour on her stomach, but went to the darker brown around her back.

After gazing at her stomach for a while, I shook my head, now was not the time to be admiring the Captain's midriff. In fact, no time was a good time to be admiring the Captain's midriff!

"I'm going to feel the area which appears to be hurting, O.K.? this might sting a little."

She nodded, and gritted her teeth, in preparation to feel the pain.

A gently as I could, I gently placed my hands on her side, and slowly ran them downwards on her soft skin.

Just as I reached the bottom of her ribcage, the Captain suddenly gasped.

"Did that hurt?" I asked.

"A...Little, yes," she replied through clenched teeth.

"Hm, nothing was broken, but that doesn't rule out a fracture," I said to myself, "Most likely from when the blast threw you against the tiller."

She opened her eyes slightly, "So what is you synopsis... Doctor?"

I smiled at her wit. Even in the most darkest of situations, she always seemed to find a way to see a funny side to it.

"Under ideal circumstances, I wouldn't be so hasty to move you but..." I gazed up at the Pillar of smoke that was still hovering overhead from the engine, "These aren't ideal circumstances."

"I concur, so what should we do?"

I glanced down at the Captain, before searching nearby bushes for something.

"The best thing I can suggest is to put your arm in a sling of some sort," I called to her as I tried to find some sort of vine or something, "This will minimize movement, and should protect any damage until we can get you to a proper doctor."

"Your not a proper doctor?" I heard her reply, filled with mock amazement.

I glanced back and came back over to her.

"Could we stop it with the remarks ma'am? This is serious."

She gave a sideways smile before chuckling to her self, only to stop suddenly as pain shot up her side.

"Lieutenant, reach into my pocket, you should find something that might help us." she said through gritted teeth.

Nodding quickly I reached into her pocket, before drawing out a silk scarf...and a piece of paper.

The scarf was light to the touch, but it was the paper that interested me.

It was the note I had written, folded up neatly.

I read the note through just to be sure. Yes it was definitely my handwriting.

After reading the note through again, I looked down at Amelia, a questioning look in my eyes.

"Captain?"

She bit her lower lip and looked away from me, a pinkish tint appearing on her cheeks.

Finally she looked back at me guiltily.

"It's nice to know when people are there for you Lieutenant," she sighed as she took the note back and read it through herself, "Sometimes...you need a little something...to help you remember that."

I was surprised. I didn't think she would keep the note, or even for the reason she had kept it.

Deciding I might ask her about it later, a gazed down at the scarf in my hands.

It was long and elegant, and silver in colour.

"It was my mother's" I heard the Captain answer my invisible question, "It's not part of the uniform, so I keep it in my pocket, it's all I have left of her."

"You don't mind me using it as a sling?"

She smiled at me through her pain, "No problem Lieutenant. I never wear it anyway, might as well use it for something."

I gazed at her softly, before tying up her arm with the sling.

"There, that should hold it," I said aloud.

"Thank you Lieutenant," she smiled weakly at me, as she once again tried to stand again.

At that moment I heard something. It sounded like a combination of a cat call and a bird whistle.

The Doctor.

Quickly I forced Amelia back down behind the boat, my rifle ready.

"Lieutenant?"

"Someone's coming,"

Slowly, I peeped over the top of boat, watching carefully.

It was quiet, to quiet.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, my vision was obscured by a large Pink blob, that squeaked in delight when it saw me.

I was so surprised a almost yelped, falling onto my back as I did so.

Morph let out a volley of his squeaky laughter as he nuzzled my face and made a series of affectionate noises.

"It appears that blob has grown quite attached to you Mr. Dearing," the Captain mused with amusement.

"I'd second that," Jim now appeared over the top of the boat, trying his best to stop laughing.

I shook my head as I tickled Morph in retaliation for his surprise, while the Captain addressed Jim.

"I take it you have found a better position for us to hid Mr. Hawkins?"

"Yes Ma'am. B.E.N's place."

"B.E.N?"

"That's Bio-Electronic-Navigator Ma'am!" suddenly, over the top of the boat appeared a robot around the same height as Jim, he was bronze and he had what looked like a compass on his front, with bright green eyes. I didn't get long to look at him though, for when he had popped over the top of the boat, he had tripped and fallen over, landing in the dirt right next to me.

I glanced at Jim and then to Morph, who was doing a imitation of the robot, with a Cuckoo popping out of his head. After watching him for a second with amusement, I tapped him on the head, making him stop, though personally I had to agree this guy was two cards short of a deck.

"This is Captain Amelia and Lieutenant Daniel Dearing," Jim introduced as B.E.N picked himself up.

"Captain Sir!" the Robot shouted, offering his hand to her, "Pleasure to meet...err...oh."

He suddenly noticed her arm. Grinning sheepishly he diverted his hand to me, "Danny, nice to meet you!"

I hesitantly offered my hand, only for it to be almost wrung off. Why? Why was I so polite.

"I found him down there, he was marooned here by Flint," Jim explained as Doppler appeared behind him, "He has a place we can go, about ten minutes walk from here."

"I see, lead on Mr. Hawkins," The Captain said with a smile as she stood up.

Jim nodded wearily, before following the eccentric robot and the Doctor.

As Amelia took a step forward however, she felt pain shoot up her side again, causing her to fall back into my arms.

"I don't think you can walk for ten minutes Captain," I said warningly.

"Oh, Tish Tosh," she muttered as she tried to stand up again and take another step. She managed five before she fell to the ground.

Jim and the others had stopped to wait for the Captain.

"Captain," I said sternly, "you are about as fine as my mother after she's been drinking: unable to stand."

"Then what would you suggest I do Lieutenant?" she glared at me, "Have someone carry me to this hiding place?"

I smirked down at her as the realisation dawned in her eyes.

She looked up and saw me smirking.

"You wouldn't dare," she growled, a small smile making it's way unknowingly onto her face.

I crouched down beside her, the smirk still all over my face.

"Oh, believe me Captain, I would."

Before she had time to register a complaint I suddenly put one arm on her back and one under her legs, scooping her up and holding her close.

"Mr. Dearing! Put me down this instant!" she whispered furiously at me, a pinkish tint colouring her cheeks.

"Come now Captain," I said with a genuine smile, "I'm not doing anything wrong. I'm merely assisting my Captain. So relax, and enjoy the trip!"

She scowled at me for a moment as Jim and Delbert exchanged an amused smile, "My wit doesn't suit you Mr. Dearing,"

"Neither does Jim's scowl suit your features Ma'am, so I would suggest you stopped it."

She paused for a moment, her brain processing what I had just said. She sighed and smiled up at me.

"Very well Lieutenant, I will let you carry me...this time."

As she closed her eyes, she sighed again, pillowing her head in my chest.

I looked down at her, my eyes soft. She always looked so calm and devoid of anything commanding. She honestly looked...dare I think it...cute. Yep, I dared.

My eyes widened as we walked, had I just thought her cute? Guess I did. Oh, I was so dead if she ever found out. It was going on my "Going to die if she finds out" list, along with watching her sleep and admiring her midriff.

I looked down at the Captain, slowly dozing in my arms, like a...well, a cat by a fire really, only taller, and more...evolved.

I sighed as we continued on to B.E.N's place, while the Robot continued to sing something that sounded like "We'll rant and we'll roar! Like true Navel Sailors, Like True Navel Sailors, We'll Rant and We'll Roar!" or something along those lines. My thought's were a mess when it came to the Captain. I couldn't understand why I was getting so flustered around her. Even now, as I held her in my arms, I couldn't help but think about what she felt for me. I don't know, I had never been in love before.

Girls had always thought I was to geeky for their liking. Well, there had been one person, but that had been a long time ago. I sighed to myself as I continued to think about it. It was insane! What would my mother think? Not a lot probably seeing she was drunk most of the time anyway.

We continued to walk, for what felt like an hour than ten minutes, but we eventually came over a hill, and saw our hiding place for the first time.

As I gazed, I suddenly realised how much I missed home. Sure I didn't miss my mother, I over twenty for God's sake! But I did miss Dorset, I missed the Optician, who had helped me through my years of misery and I found myself wondering what would have happened if my mother hadn't of ripped up Treasure Island? Would someone else be on this adventure? Or would Silver and his band of pirates won after all?

I didn't want to know, right now I was content as we headed on the final leg of the journey to B.E.N's place, the Captain still held tight in my arms.


	11. Chapter 10: Old Fashion Romances

**CHAPTER 10**

**OLD FASHION ROMANCES**

"Uh, Pardon the Mess, People. You'd think in a hundred years I would have dusted a little more often!" Ben apologised as we entered, (Well, the Doctor fell in but you get the idea,) "But you know, when your Batchin' it…" he tipped a chessboard on the floor as he did so, revealing a pair of long, frilly, poka-dot bottoms, "You tend to, uh, let things go," he picked up the bottoms, before realising what they were, and hiding them behind his skinny back.

Suddenly he saw me carrying the Captain in my arms, a caring look in my eyes as she leaned her head against my chest.

"Aw, isn't that sweet?" he said casually as he threw the bottoms to the back of the cave and went behind a tattered sail, "I find old-fashion romances so touching, don't you?" he called, before producing a tray with two cups of oil on it, one with a cog in it and the other with a spanner, the cog cup was bubbling slightly.

"How about drinks for the Happy couple?" he asked, showing a toothy grin (Or the nearest thing B.E.N could get to a tooth grin).

I looked up from easing down Amelia's head gently onto a small dome next to B.E.N.

"Oh, uh, ooh. Uh, no," I said flatly, hoping to save the Captain from what ever mixture B.E.N had created.

"We don't drink," I said casually as I unbuttoned my Tunic, "And uh, We're not a couple," I gazed down at Amelia, a hapless smile on my face. I was returned with a reassuring one.

"Ahem. Look at these markings," the Doctor spoke up to break the silence, indicating to the ceiling, "Their identical to the ones on the map. I suspect these are the hieroglyphic Remnants of an ancient Culture."

I gazed around the cave as I rolled up my Tunic. From my point of view, this whole place looked like an ancient Culture. Well, the 16th century anyway, that was pretty old. The place was littered with old masts, sails and barrels, along with dozens of different pieces of nautical equipment, as well as a few pots and pans behind one of the sails.

"Mr. Hawkins, Doctor Doppler" I heard the Captain's voice punch though my thoughts, "Stop anyone who tries to approach," she suddenly winched in pain.

"Yes, yes, now listen to me," I said sternly as I put my makeshift pillow of my Tunic behind her head and made her lay down, "Stop giving orders for a few milliseconds," I paused before gently laying my hand over hers, "and lie still."

"Very forceful Lieutenant," she said with a weak smile, "Go on, say something else."

I smiled back and was about to reply when B.E.N's loud voice came through first.

"Hey look, there's some more of your buddies!"

I looked up and saw the robot dancing on the edge of the hole we had come through, trying to grab their attention.

"Oh, Dammit all!" I muttered furiously as I unsung my rifle from my back and set it to kill, knowing there could only be one type of person on this planet that he thought could be our Buddies: Pirates.

"That blasted Robot's gonna get us all killed!"

I ran as fast as I could to the entrance just as B.E.N was pulled down by Jim as the Plasma Bolts started flying.

Without wasting time, I quickly knelt down on one knee, aimed my rifle through the scope and began picking off the Pirates one by one.

I got about three when I heard Silver's large voice called out, "Stop wasting your fire! That's the Lieutenant your dealing with!"

I sighed and also ceased fire, not wanting to waste any fire if I didn't need to.

"Jimbo?" I heard the Former cook's voice call out as I peered over the top of hole, to see Silver appearing over the ridge, a little white rag on a branch in his good hand, his cybernetic arm being used as a crutch for some reason.

"If it's alright with the Cap'n, I'd like a short word with ya. No tricks, just a little palaver."

"Come to bargain for the map, doubtless, pestilential, Ugh!"

I looked back at the Captain, the Doctor at her side.

"Captain…" I said warningly.

"That means…" Jim thought aloud, "that he thinks we still have it."

"I think we should let Jim talk to him," I said aloud, gazing at Silver through my scope, "Why is he limping?"

Jim gave a sheepish smile, "I put a pair of clippers through his bad leg,"

"That means that he can't use any of his gizmos or weapons or what ever else he keeps in that arm of his," I mused.

"Very well Mr. Hawkins, you may go," the Captain ordered.

"Aye Captain,"

"I got your back Jim," I said to him as he went past, "But don't take to long."

Jim nodded before disappearing down the hole and down the hill, as the dying rays of an alien sun disappeared behind a horizon.

Then, the waiting began.

When he got back, Jim explained how Silver had tried to bribe him into giving him the map, and failed, While Morph cuddled up to me, giving off sad and scared little noises as I stroked him absently.

By the time he got back the Captain had fallen asleep, but had woken up to listen, but she didn't seem to be the same.

Right now as I was tending to her, she suddenly grabbed sleeve and pulled herself up.

"Gentlemen," she murmured, gritting her teeth from the pain, "We must…stay together and….and…"

"And what? WHAT?" I heard Delbert practically scream behind me as I took off my glasses to look at Amelia more closely, "WE MUST STAY TOGETHER AND WHAT!?!"

The Captain opened her eyes and gazed deeply into mine, a faint smile on her lips.

"Daniel," she said faintly, "You have…wonderful eyes!"

"SHE'S LOST HER MIND!!!" Doppler shouted in despair while I clasped the Captains good hand in my own, while she slumped back onto my tunic, a blissful smile on her face.

"Well, you gotta help her Dan!" I heard Jim say desperately, "you've done good for her so far!"

"Dang it Jim. I'm a College Student, not a doctor!" I yelled back, holding up a finger to contradict him, "Well, I'm a First Aider and that's a _kind _of doctor, but I'm not the kind of doctor she needs. I've got a degree in First Aiding but It's not the same thing, you can't help people with insanity with a degree in First Aiding you just sit there and your useless!"

I just felt like crying as I collapsed to the floor, holding my head in my hands.

I felt Jim put his hands on my shoulders and I was slowly brought back into reality as Morph made worried squeaking noises as he floated above me.

"It's OK Dan," I heard Jim say, "It's alright,"

"It's OK! It's alright!" Morph squeaked in reassurance as he slipped through my fingers.

"Yeah Danny! Jimmy knows exactly how to get out of this," B.E.N added as Jim left to go look out the entrance, "It's just…It's just Jimmy has this…this Knowledge of things,"

He looked reassuringly at me for a moment before adding behind his hand, "Jim, any thoughts at all?"

Jim sighed as Morph came to hover beside him.

He sighed as he looked up at the ship in orbit above us, "Without the map, we're dead," he looked down at where a small fire had been started where the pirates were camping, "If we try to leave, we're dead," he looked at us all inside the cave, "If we stay here…"

"We're dead!" Morph squeaked playfully, hoping to cheer Jim up, "We're dead! We're dead! We're dead!"

When Jim didn't give the response he wanted, Morph gave a little whimper.

I glanced at Delbert sadly, it looked like this might be the end after all. The Doctor couldn't do anything, Jim was stuck for ideas, the Captain was loosing her mind, and I had sunk into a pit of depression I hadn't dug myself since I left Earth.

"Well, I think Jimmy could use some 'quiet time' " B.E.N suddenly said to no one in particular, "So I'll just slip out the back door,"

Jim suddenly stood up straighter, "Back door?"

"Oh yeah I get this delightful breeze through here," the robot said casually as he rolled over a dome, revealing a bright light from within.

My interest perking, I quickly got up and walked over to the opening. What I saw amazed me no end.

"Which I think is important," the robot continued, "because ventilation, between friends…"

"Whoa," Jim gasped as he joined me at the new opening.

"What is this stuff?" I asked as I gazed down what seemed like a everlasting tunnel.

"You mean the miles and miles of machinery that run through the entire course of the inside of this planet?" B.E.N asked. He paused thinking of an answer. When not finding one he answered simply, "Not a clue."

"Hey Dan I think I found a way out of here!"

I looked irritated, "Jim wait," I said futilely as he climbed up above the exit, "The Captain ordered us, hell _I _order you to stay…"

"I'll be back," was all he said as he dropped down the hole followed by a "CANNONBALL!!!" by B.E.N and Morph.

"Woof," I heard Doppler say in the background in a monotone.

"My sentiments exactly," I sighed as I turned back to the Captain.

"So what should we do?"

I slumped back against the Dome, next to the Captain and sighed.

"Maybe you should get some sleep Doctor, I'll keep watch until Jim gets back."

Delbert looked at me worriedly, before finally relenting and going into a corner near the entrance. A few minutes later I heard snoring, telling me he was asleep.

I sighed as I gazed about the cave, my mind wondering as freely as my eyes.

"Credit for your thoughts Lieutenant?"

I looked down suddenly, only to be greeted with a pair of deep, Emerald green eyes.

"What's a credit?"

The Captain chuckled slightly, "It's the currency used by the Empire Mr. Dearing, I didn't think you would know about it."

I sighed for a moment, taking off my glasses and rubbing my eyes, "I don't know Ma'am, my thoughts are all a jumble."

I suddenly caught her staring at me, a small smile like the one she had had an while ago.

I momentarily forgot I was talking to my Captain as I asked her, "What? What are you staring at?"

"Has anyone ever told you how much more…handsome you look without your glasses?"

I sighed and went back to rubbing my eyes, chuckling slightly.

Now it was the Captain's turn to look confused.

"What?"

"The Doctor was right, you _have_ lost your mind."

She looked at me indignantly, "I have not!"

I looked back at her, not really wanting to argue with her.

"Captain Amelia would never talk to me like that," I said with a sigh, "She would never complement me on my…" I paused trying to think of the word, "handsome…ship," I said finally, knowing it wasn't actually a word.

"Oh, and I suppose Captain Amelia would never complement you on your fine eyes either?" The Captain asked, her voice sounding slightly hurt.

Sighed and put two fingers to my temple.

"I'm too tired to argue with you Amelia…" I began. Suddenly I stopped, my eyes wide at what I said. Suddenly I closed my eyes and covered them with one hand, wishing the ground would just swallow me up.

"Oh, I just called you Amelia, didn't I?" I murmured into my hand.

"Yes Daniel," I heard her say with a smirk, "you did,"

"I'm sorry," I murmured, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Just don't shout at me, or reprimand me or anything else you might do as Captain. Please?"

I heard nothing but silence. Peeping out of the edge of hands, I saw she was staring at me again.

"Why would I do that?" she asked.

"Because you're the Captain….Captain." I said blankly, "I'm not supposed to be calling you…by your first name."

I knew I was treading on dangerous ground here. Calling the Captain by her first name once would be considered unfortunate, to call her Amelia twice would be considered…

"Daniel, I'm talking to you!"

I glanced down at the Captain, a tired smile on my face.

"I find it ironic that we have to use each others first names to get each others attention," I said with a chuckle.

She shrugged, "It seems quite sad really,"

I raised an eyebrow, "Oh, why?"

"Because here we are, a grown man and woman, and we can't even speak each others own first names without feeling embarrassed." she said simply.

I thought about this for a moment, before sighing.

"But you out-rank me, I'm a lieutenant and you're a captain. I can't just call you by your first name! It wouldn't be proper!"

I leaned back on the palms of my hands, my head resting on the back of the dome.

I was lost in my own thoughts, I had no idea what to do.

Suddenly I was ripped out of my thoughts as I felt something warm lay itself across the top of my hand.

Looking down, I was greeted my a white glove, a certain person's hand inside it.

I followed the hand up to her arm, and then up to her head.

She was staring again, a stare I hadn't seen since the day I had met her. I stared back for a long time, before bowing my head.

"You should get some sleep, Captain. We might have a bit of a walk tomorrow."

I could feel her eyes on me for a few moments, then I heard a bit of shuffling, followed by pressure on my arm.

I looked down so fast I cricked my neck. What I saw made me turn several shades of red.

Amelia had now leaned over, and pillowed her head against my arm.

I bit my lip as she looked up at me, clearly amused at my embarrassment.

"With all due respect, Lieutenant, Your arm is actually more comfortable than your tunic," she handed me my blue coat, "Besides, you look a little cold."

"_OK, she has _got_ to be physic_," I thought to myself as I took my tunic. The truth was, as night came in, the planet had tuned out not to be as hot as it was during the day, and my shirt was a bit on the thin side.

"Your sure you don't need this anymore?" I asked.

"Positive,"

A bit more quickly than I should have, I quickly donned my jacked and buttoned it up, feeling the warmth of the Tunic.

I paused for a moment, "Captain are you…"

I suddenly realised the Captain had managed to sneak under my arm while I was putting on my tunic. How I had not noticed was beyond me.

After another moment, I realised that fatigue had caught up with her again and she had fallen asleep, leaning on me heavily.

I sighed. There was something about this that felt…right. I couldn't explain it.

I lent my head back on the dome as the Captain snuggled closer to me in her sleep.

It was at that time I myself was feeling a little sleepy.

Just a few minutes rest couldn't hurt.

After what felt like five minutes, I woke up again, hearing a scuffling sound coming from near where Jim had left.

Amelia was still asleep, still cuddled up against me, her breathing steady.

Deciding to investigate, I slowly eased her off me, before getting up and looking around the cave.

The large space was dark, the only light coming from the stars through the front entrance.

I looked around, my hand resting gently on the hilt of my rapier.

It was to quiet for my liking. I couldn't hear Delbert's snoring.

Standing in the middle of the room, I closed my eyes, blocking out the vision, focusing only on the sound.

I could just hear Amelia's breathing behind me, but there was something else, I couldn't just hear two sounds of breathing, I could also here around a dozen more.

Slowly and carefully, I grasped the hilt of my rapier, waiting for the right moment to strike.

As I walked around the room, I waited for the right moment.

Then I heard something that I shouldn't have been able to here, a squelch.

As quick as lightning my rapier was out. Before whoever had made the sound could react, I thrust my sword into the darkness, hitting home.

I felt the blade drive deep into the offenders body, hearing a burbled sigh as whoever it had been breathed his last.

As I withdrew my rapier, I noticed the blade was covered in a sticky purple goop

Alien blood.

As I looked on, a pirate suddenly fell out of the shadows, clearly dead.

As I looked at the dead pirate in disbelief I heard a series of clicking and whirring sounds behind me.

As I whipped around, the colour drained from my face.

Behind me, stood Silver, a pistol on his artificial arm, aimed at Amelia's head.

"Oh Dear, oh dear, oh dear," he tutted as he cocked his pistol, "That's the forth member of _my_ crew you've killed today Danny-boy. I must admit, your skills with a weapon are some of the finest I've ever seen."

I looked around as pirates circled me, grinning at me sinisterly.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Doppler, being held by Turnbuckle, bound and gagged.

I looked at the Captain, who showed no fear. I narrowed my eyes at Silver.

"Give me one good reason I shouldn't kill you where you stand?" I spat.

He smiled pleasantly. "Ah Danny-boy, I've got three.

One: you try to and my men will kill you before your blade touches me.

Two: we wouldn't want anything bad happen to good ol' Doc now would we?"

He glanced at Turnbuckle who smiled evilly at me.

"And three:" he said casually, pressing the pistol to Amelia's temple, "We _all_ think you and the Cap'n make such a good couple, right fellas?"

There was a rumble of sarcastic agreement.

"Exactly. Be a shame if the good Cap'n suddenly lost those pretty features of hers eh?"

I emitted a low snarl.

"You no good, double-crossing, son of a…"

"Now, Now Danny-boy, there's no need to be rude," Silver said, the mock alarm clear in his voice, "Now drop ya sword, or the Cap'n's gonna find herself with a little speech impediment!"

I closed my eyes, trying to figure out what to do. If I gave up, then Amelia and the Doctor would be safe, if I tried to kill Silver, both would be dead. What was I supposed to…

"DANIEL! ON YOUR LEFT!"

Without thinking about it, I suddenly pulled a pistol from it's sheath, aimed and fired.

Another Pirate fell.

I heard a thump and a cry and I turned back to Silver and Amelia.

"That'll be enough out of you Lass," he said stoutly, "At as for you _Lieutenant_, the next time someone dies the Cap'n here will be joining 'em.

My eyes widened, he wouldn't!

Finally I relented. I dropped my rapier, and holstered my pistol.

"Fine," I muttered.

"I knew you'd see it my way," Silver said with a smile, "Tie him up with the Cap'n,"

I sighed, looking downcast as the Pirates roughly pushed be toward the dome, tying my hands behind my back, before throwing me beside the Captain.

"Don't worry Lieutenant," Silver said calmly as he lifted up my chin with one metallic finger, "We'll clean your sword for you. And as soon as Jim gets back with the map, we'll be off to find _my_ treasure!"

I said nothing for a moment, before promptly spitting in his face.

Silver stood up again, and whipped my saliva off his face.

"Gag 'em," he said quietly as he turned away, "We'll wait for Jim,"

"Since when could you do spit like that?" Amelia asked curiously as she too was tied up.

I gave her a sheepish grin, "You'd be surprised how many scrapes I got out of by doing that at Primary school,"

She smiled at me, but any father conversation was cut off as we were gagged, Delbert thrown with us, and the waiting began for Jim's return.


	12. Chapter 11: Treasure, Trouble, And Roman...

**CHAPTER 11**

**TREASURE, TROUBLE, AND ROMANCE**

For how long we sat there waiting I didn't know. I was awake the whole time. Doppler and Amelia however were a different story.

Delbert had fallen over, what with his hands behind his back, and none of the Pirates had bothered to heave him back up. He was now asleep on the cold dusty floor, giving the occasional sneeze once in a while from the dust.

The Captain had also fallen over, only she had had the fortune to fall on to my shoulder.

After a somewhat tense moment. She looked at me with apologetic eyes, (Seeing she had been sleeping on me a few minutes ago, I had no idea why) before realising she couldn't get back up.

After about half a minute of trying she gave up, and was now dozing quietly on my shoulder.

Silver had been pacing near-by, my cleaned Rapier hanging loosely by his side.

Seeing I had nothing better to do, I decided to try and reach for my pistols, which had been left in their Holsters, for the simple reason I couldn't reach them.

After what felt like half an hour, I had given up trying to reach for a pistol, and was now dozing, my head leaning slightly on top of Amelia's for a lack of a better pillow.

"E's comin' " I suddenly was fully awake as someone whispered frantically.

"Right," Silver muttered, "You three, make sure not a peep comes out of the Captain and her 'loyal crew'. the last thing we need is Jimbo to suspect somthin' "

I was suddenly shoved out of the way, as I felt the green tentacles of Turnbuckle loop their way round my arms to stop me from moving, while two more fastened Delbert and the Captain.

Silver meanwhile took off his hat, and settled down in the dark, making it look like he was asleep. To anyone just entering the cave, the dark mound could be anyone.

I watched helplessly as I saw Jim appear out of the way he had come.

I began to thrash about in Turnbuckles tight grip, tying my best to get free, or at least try to grab Jim's attention.

I didn't get Jim or B.E.N's attention. I did however get the attention of a certain pink blob.

Morph suddenly turned towards the sound of scuffling that I was making, while Jim headed towards the bulk that was Silver.

Morph was edging ever closer, while I tried to wiggle my chin in an attempt to get that blasted piece of cloth from my mouth.

"Hey Doc, Dan! Wake up!" Jim whisper joyfully to Silver, as Morph was just mere centimetres away, still not being able to see me in the dark.

"I got the map!" My friend said breathlessly, as he brought up the Map for all to see.

Just then I managed to get the gag away from my mouth.

"JIM, IT'S A TRAP!!!" I yelled as loud as I could before anyone could stop me.

Jim looked around in surprise as Morph shot back slightly as I yelled, only to make a series of happy noises upon seeing me.

It was to late though.

The large cybernetic arm reached out of the dark, taking the map from Jim's outstretched palm.

"Fine work, Jimbo," Silver said quietly as he examined the Sphere with a crooked smile, "Fine work indeed,"

Suddenly all hell broke loose as the Pirates dropped us in an attempt to capture the escaping Jim, causing us to fall in the dust.

I coughed slightly from all the dust that was being thrown in the air, while glancing at the Captain.

She gazed at me with wonder in her eyes, as though she was…amazed at what I had done.

"Captain, are you alright?" I asked frantically. She had fallen on her side and those stupid pirates had tied her arms behind her back, making it impossible for her to protect whatever was wrong with her side.

She nodded slightly, not taking her eyes off me.

Suddenly I felt Silver push me back up roughly with his good hand.

I must have missed a bit of conversation, for Jim now had the Map backing his position, but was held by two of the Pirates. I suddenly realised that Silver must be trying to force Jim to open the map, for he was now holding me at gunpoint.

"I'd get busy," Silver said calmly.

I held my head high as Jim cast a helpless look in my direction.

I shook my head as if to say: "_Don't do it,_"

I heard the cocking of pistol. Silver was serious.

With a defeated sigh, Jim tapped in the code I had taught him into the map, before spinning the outer layer the way I had shown him.

I slumped back, partly in relief of not being shot, and partly in sadness that Silver had won.

Out of the sphere, instead of an entire map, just Treasure Planet could be seen.

"Oh, the powers that be would you look?" Silver breathed, his Cybernetic eye now glowing a bright white.

Suddenly the image of the planet melted, becoming a bright green line that shot out of the cave and into the distance.

Silver's eyes shone with greed as the line shimmered slightly.

He then glanced back at Jim.

"Tie him up," he grunted, "And leave him with the others till we…What?"

Suddenly the line flowed backwards in millions of tiny particles, back into the map as Jim closed it.

"You want the map?" Jim asked, "Your taking me too."

I glanced over at Amelia, who looked back at me worriedly.

Silver regarded Jim for a moment while the crew muttered darkly amongst themselves. Finally Silver chuckled as he gazed over to where me, Amelia and Delbert were huddled.

"We'll take 'em all!"

After about an hour of flying in the Longboat, we finally reached a place where the skiff couldn't reach, the line we had been following blipping extremely fast.

"Bring the Doc and Metal man," Silver grunted as he settled off in the direction the line was indicating, pulling Jim along with him, "We'll leave the two 'Lovebirds' under guard."

"Hey!" I yelled at the back of the departing pirate, "It's _my_ map! I should at least get to see this grand treasure everyone's been talking about. Without me, you wouldn't even _have_ the map!"

Silver stopped, and turned slightly to look at me, "it's what you get fer being an Officer and fer spitting me face Danny-boy." he said simply, "Besides, you don't have to worry. You'll see it when we start loadin' it onto the Legacy!"

He laughed out loud as he, Jim, Delbert, B.E.N, Morph and the Pirates headed in the direction of the blipping line.

I sighed angrily as I was pushed back by a pistol, welded by our guard, a pirate to which the word 'tubby' didn't do the guy justice.

"You sit there," he said in a accent that could have been German, "I eat Chicken leg. You behave."

He then waddled over to the other end of the Boat, making it wobble and shake as he did so.

I sighed in defeat.

"I really wanted to see that treasure," I sulked. I did too. I had heard a lot about Flint's trove and the stories about the loot of a thousand worlds from Jim during the voyage. To actually see that much gold would be an awe inspiring moment in itself.

I hung my head. All my dreams were crumbling in front of my eyes, like a really good dream turning into a ghastly nightmare.

I sighed again, leaning back slightly, only to accidentally come into contact with the Captain's back.

"Sorry Ma'am," I said gruffly, looking away from the Captain sadly.

As I sat there, I suddenly realised I felt something creep into my hand. It was warm to the touch, but it felt like cloth was covering it.

It was the Captain's hand,

"I was thinking Lieutenant," I heard her murmur in my ear.

I gave her a timid smile, "Well, there's a first time for everything Ma'am," I said quietly.

She gave me a slightly annoyed look out of the corner of her eye, making me fall silent as she continued.

"I was thinking about…us,"

My heart suddenly felt like defying the laws of gravity by trying to jump into my throat.

"Is this really the time or the place Capt…"

"Amelia,"

I blinked, "Excuse me?"

"Daniel, think straight for a moment. Here we are sitting in a longboat, tied up by pirates, the future looking bleak. Who knows what could happen? The only thing around is that bloated blob of fat in the corner. We might as well call each other by our first names."

I paused for a moment, contemplating what she had said, before shrugging, "As you wish Cap…Amelia,"

I saw her smile out of the corner of my eye at my slight slip of the tongue.

We sat there in silence for a while, back to back, and in hand, the only sound being the slight hum of insects around us, and the chewing of the chicken leg in the corner.

I sighed as the memories of Earth flooded back with the insects. Silently wondering what my mother was doing, what my Optician friend was doing, and what I would be doing if I hadn't seen Billy Bones land his craft on that fateful night.

"Credit for you're your thoughts Daniel?" I heard Amelia say softly.

I smiled softly at her words, before turning my head back to the floor, a realisation flooding through my mind.

"All my life I dreamed of an adventure like this," I murmured sadly, "I'm just sorry I couldn't have been…more helpful to you."

Amelia paused, before remembering that tender moment they'd had in her Stateroom after Arrow's death.

"Don't be daft," she said quietly, squeezing my hand slightly, "You've been very helpful…truly."

I sighed at her kind words, but it was to late, I had already sunk into depression.

"I feel like such a useless weakling!" I said angrily bringing my hands to my face in frustration.

"_Hang on…I can see my hands!_"

I looked at my hands with amazement, as though I had never seen them before, I looked at the piece of rope that had only moments before been tying my hands together, now hung loosely from my wrist.

"With abnormally thin wrists," I muttered to myself in shock.

I looked up suddenly, to see the pirate with his back turned to me.

A smile suddenly crept onto my lips as an idea formed in my head.

Slowly, so I would not draw attention. I reached for the Pistol at my side and brought it behind my back.

"Daniel?" Amelia gave me a questioning look, "What our you doing?"

"Shh," I said quietly as I cocked my weapon behind my back, "I'm getting us out of here."

Suddenly I cleared my throat.

"Excuse me, brutish pirate."

I received a belch in an answer so I assumed he was listening as he turned his beady red eyes on me.

"Yes you." I said mildly, looking up and down the great oaf with a bit of distaste in my eyes, "Is it that your body is to _MASSIVE_ for your, teeny-tiny head?" I paused for a moment, allowing a moment of amusement to watch the look of shock and disbelief cross the pirates face before continuing, "or is it that your head, is too teeny-tiny, for your big fat body!"

The pirate looked down at its large waist line, before waddling up angrily to me and grabbing me by the collar of my tunic.

"I pummel you good!" he said in his thickly accented voice as I winced, not in fear, but because the awful smell of his breath.

"Yes I'm sure you will!" I said hastily, putting on a good show of being scared, "but before you do, I have one more question:" I smiled slightly as I withdrew my pistol from behind my back, the weapon whining slightly as it powered up, "Is this yours?" I said pleasantly.

The Pirate looked down at the pistol, now poking into his vast belly, with a sigh of disbelief.

"Perhaps I should rephrase that," I continued, "This is _my_ pistol, seeing you were too stupid to take them off me!"

"How did you…"

"Ah, ah, ah! No questions," I said sternly as I reached for a coil of rope, and began to tie him up, before promptly shoving him to the other end of the boat.

After I had done so, I quickly cut Amelia's bonds.

"Are you all right?" I asked, checking her over to make sure she was ok.

I suddenly felt two arms encircle my neck and pull me into a tight hug.

"You're brilliant you know that?" I heard Amelia say in my ear.

I bit my lip and felt that oh-so-familiar tinge of pink hit my cheeks.

"WE'RE COMING DANNNYYYY!!!"

Suddenly from below us there came a loud crash, making us break apart in surprise.

On looking below the Longboat, we saw B.E.N. He had fallen over the mooring line, and was now face first in the dirt.

"Avast you scurvy scum!" I heard the Doctor bellow as he burst out of the nearby bushes, swinging my rapier around his head, "release the Captain and Daniel Immediately!"

I cast an amused look at Amelia before over looking the side of the boat at Delbert.

"Doctor, if I may be so bold, your going to take someone's head off with that if your not careful. Namely your own!"

Delbert stopped mid swing, and gawked at me with his mouth hanging open.

"How did you…?"

I put up my hands and grinned, "Three words Doctor: Abnormally, Thin, Wrists!"

"Um, excuse me people…you know…for butting in," B.E.N said timidly as he got up and dusted his knees off, "but did I mention this planet is ABOUT TO BLOW HIGHER THAN A KALEPSIAN KITE!?!"

"What?" I cried as I jumped down from the Longboat, "what do you mean it's gonna blow higher then a Kalepsian Kite?"

"Flint wanted to make sure nobody could ever steal his treasure, so he booby tapped the whole PLANET TO BLOW SKY HIGH!!!" B.E.N screamed.

I glanced up at the Captain as I felt the ground beneath me shake.

"We have to get out of here." I muttered to myself as I looked around, "Wait a moment, where's Jim?"

"He's back at the treasure site," Doppler called, "he said that if he wasn't back in five minutes, we would leave without him. We left him trying to start up the engine of Flint's old ship."  
I sighed in disbelief. That kid was as stubborn as they came.

"Lieutenant we have to move," I heard the Captain call from above, "if we can reach the Legacy, we can come back for Hawkins!"

I nodded and was about to get back on board the Longboat, when suddenly I felt something wrap around my leg.

On looking down I found a pirate, a large squat rigger called Moron, with his tentacle friend Oxy, clinging to my leg.

"Take us with you!" Moron squealed in a high pitched voice.

"Yeah, come on Lieutenant? Please?" Oxy wailed.

Another pirate, a woman who looked like she had lost her bottom half suddenly clung to my other leg.

"We surrender! We surrender! Just get us off this exploding rock!" she screamed.

I gazed around. Sure enough, the pirates we on their knees (Or the floor if they didn't have knees) begging me to take them with us.

I looked up at the Captain, it was her call.

She nodded, "Tie them up and put them in the Longboat. Let the judge decide what's good for them."

Five minutes later we were back on board the Legacy, Pirates in the Brig…the Captain and I arguing over who was driving.

"I am the Captain, it's my ship. I should pilot her." she complained as she strode over to the wheel, wincing overtime she used her left foot. She had taken five steps before I grabbed her shoulder.

"You are in no shape to pilot the Ship, Captain. I'll do it."

She glared back at me, eyes narrowed.

"I'm perfectly fine Lieutenant. Now let me to the wheel. The sooner you do, the sooner we can rescue Mr. Hawkins."

I gave her a stern look as I went past her for the wheel.

"Captain, If your fine, I'm the princess of Sana Lu Lu. Now I'm steering. If you want you can sit back and give orders, but you are not, I repeat NOT going to pilot this ship!"

She glared at me as I took up position at the Wheel.

"Lieutenant you are in no position to give me orders!" she yelled as she practically limped up the stairs to the bridge.

I gave her I knowing smile over my shoulder, "Oh but I am Captain,"

She stopped short of me, before I continued.

"When I took this job, _you_ said that should _you_ be incapacitated, I would take command. You are in no shape to command the Legacy with that injury. I'm merely following orders, Ma'am."

I gazed at her smugly as her jaw dropped in shock, before turning into a slightly amused smile.

"You play a hard game Lieutenant," she said, shaking her head slightly as she sat down, her back to the mast, "Remind me never to play poker with you!"

I smiled at the thought as B.E.N and the Doctor came up to the Bridge.

"B.E.N engage engines to full, let's go get Jim,"

"Aye Lieutenant!" He called in return, before throwing a lever down.

A looked over at Delbert, who was gazing towards the planet while the engines powered up.

"Brace yourself, Doctor," I called.

He gave me a look of despair, "Oh no! Not you Toooooo!!!"

As the ship thrust forward, the Poor Doctor was suddenly flung backwards towards the wall, fortunately he had been close and so no bones were broken.

I sighed and glanced back at Amelia, who was looking at Doppler with amusement.

I sighed as I focused me attention on the planet below

"_Hold on Jim, we're coming."_


	13. Chapter 12: Escapes Made, Love Confirmed...

**CHAPTER 12**

**ESCAPES MADE, LOVE CONFIRMED **

**AND LIVES REBUILT**

"Aloha Jimmy!" B.E.N called as I lowered the Ship down to the Portal.

I looked over the side, only to see Silver had survived as well.

I sighed mentally to myself, whose side was this guy on anyway?

But now was not the time to be figuring that out.

"Hurry People!" The Robot called out as he tapped so fast on the little console on his front his figures were a blur, "We've got exactly two minutes and thirty-four seconds till PLANET'S DESTRUCTION!!!"

"Ease her over gently Lieutenant," I heard Amelia call out over the explosions around us.

"We don't have time for gently!" I called back as I pulled the wheel to the left, a bit shaper than I realised, as we collided with the platform Jim and Silver were standing on, taking out a small chink of it as I did so.

I bit my lower lip and looked back guiltily at the Captain.

"Sorry! But with respect we are in a bit of a hurry!" I called back as Jim and Silver scrambled on board.

She gave me a sideways smile.

"I'll let it pass this time Lieutenant," she said calmly, before turning to B.E.N.

"Take us out of here, Metal Man!" she called as I urged the ship to rise slightly.

B.E.N nodded as he pulled down the thrust leavers once more, "AYE CAPTAIN!!"

Another thrust, this time the Doctor was ready, and we shot off, the Planet starting to fall apart (literally) around us, explosions coming out of the cracks as they were created.

"Cap'n," I heard Silver's brassy voice come through loud and clear, "You dropped from the heavens in the nick of…"

Amelia gave him a death glare, "Save your claptrap for the Judge Silver," she interrupted icily, before turning back to my driving.

I smiled inwardly to myself as I heard Silver let of a brief chuckle, but not the happiest of them.

Suddenly a chunk of the Planet whizzed over heads, smashing into the top sail of the mast behind us.

We watched in horror as it came tumbling down from above, smashing into one of the nearby cannons.

Below us we suddenly heard the engines cough and splutter.

"Mizzen Sail demobilized Captain!" B.E.N called, his fingers rapidly speeding over his panel and the ships engineering console, "Thrusters are at only thirty percent of capacity!"

"Thirty percent?" Delbert gasped, "That means…We'll never clear the planets explosion in time."

I looked back at him with disbelief, surely he was joking?

"No, we got to turn around." Jim suddenly, vaulting over the railing of the bridge and heading for the remains of the cannon.

"What?" Exclaimed the Captain as she leaned over the railing and looking at him in disbelief.

"There's a portal back there," he called back as he search the wreckage, "It can get us out of here!"

"Pardon me, Jim?" Doppler asked, Looking at the Teen as though he was mad, "but didn't that portal open onto a RAGING INFERNO!?!"

"Yes," he called back as he retrieved a triangle-shaped hunk of scrap metal from the carnage, "But I'm gonna change that. I'm gonna open a different door!"

"Captain really, I don't see how this could possibly…" Doppler began.

"Oh, shut up Delbert and for once listen to the boy!" I yelled at him before pointing a finger at the Cyborg.

"You, Silver, Go help Jim!"

The old man nodded and ran over to Jim as fast as his body would allow.

"One minute twenty-nine seconds to planet's destruction!" B.E.N called out as Silver wielded the firing tube to the hunk of metal.

Then, with the help of Morph, they managed to hoist whatever it was they had created onto the side, before Jim hopped onto it.

"Fifty-eight seconds!"

Jim muttered something to Silver, who nodded, before he pressed the loading pedal, blasting off into the distance, heading for the portal.

Silver gazed up at our blank faces.

"Well, you heard him!" he barked, "get this blasted heap turned round!"

The Captain blinked at being spoken too, before nodding hesitantly.

"Lieutenant head us back to the Portal." she said quietly.

I nodded, "Aye Captain," I called back as I swung the ship into a U-turn.

As we continued to sail towards the Portal, parts of the Planet began to break away totally, shooting up into space.

As I tried to dodge one such piece, another suddenly shot up from no where, taking off the starboard dorsal fin with it.

"NOW TO THE RIGHT! NO RIGHT!" I heard Amelia scream in my ear.

"I know I know!" I shouted back glaring at her so hard her jaw dropped in amazement that I could do it, "WILL YOU JUST LET ME DRIVE!?!"

She fell silent after that as I turned back to steering as B.E.N called out: "Twenty-five seconds!"

I gripped the wheel tighter as Morph huddled up to my tunic, obviously scared for Jim's well being.

"SEVENTEEN SECONDS!!!"

Morph made what sounded like a scream and hid his face in my collar as Jim plummeted towards the fiery inferno below as his engine ran out.

I gazed helplessly as the ship drew ever closer towards the portal, it's innards glowing fiercely.

Suddenly, as we passed over the last crevice, Jim suddenly shot out, before heading towards the large green sphere in front of us as B.E.N made the final countdown.

"Seven…six…," Jim was almost there, I closed my eyes in preparation for the end, "five…four…three…," I barely heard the portal open to a new location, "two…one…zero!"

Suddenly I heard a loud explosion behind us, but only behind us. Not in front, not to the left or right. Behind.

I slowly opened one eye as cheering of my fellow crew mates was heard.

I let out a sigh of relief: Montressor Spaceport.

There she shone. The brilliant crescent shape of the Spaceport standing out against the dark bulk of the planet below.

I lent on the wheel and finally relaxed as Morph shot over to Jim as he landed.

As I looked back, I noticed that Delbert and Amelia were hugging tightly, before realising it, and pulling back slightly.

I smiled slightly as they walked off to congratulate Jim with B.E.N. Surprisingly, I found myself feeling quite empty after seeing them together. I guess it made more sense she should like the Good Doctor over me. A cat and a dog. Opposites attract. I sighed to myself, now feeling slightly deflated. No doubt she had wanted to say something about Doppler back on the planet when she said she had been thinking about…us.

Ah, it was no big. I had been turned down on many a date before. School Proms, discos, etcetera, this was no different, though I found it slightly embarrassing though to be chosen over a astrophysicist.

I watched with a hint of amusement as B.E.N suddenly broke down and cried onto Jim's shoulder. It took me minute to realise that I wasn't needed as a lieutenant anymore.

The voyage was over, cut short by a shortcut. My rank had been only temporary. I gazed down at my uniform forlornly. I would have to give it back to Amelia…_Captain_ Amelia… after I'd washed it of course. Back to being Mr. Daniel Dearing instead of Lieutenant Daniel Dearing. But then what? I would probably try to find my way home, back to Earth.

"_But why?_" a voice in my head asked frantically, "_why do you have to go back to Earth? Why not stay here? You have people who like you here! Why not stay and rebuild?_"

"_But what about my mother?_" I asked the voice, "_what about my Optician friend? How could I stay away from them?_"

"_Oh please, you've never liked your mother since you were born and you know it!_" the voice in my head said angrily,

"_She's been drinking since you can remember! Besides, your twenty two for god's sake! And as for the Optician, you can visit him. It took you about ten hours to get to Montressor, so it is possible!_"

I was about to begin arguing with myself (Which, looking back, seemed rather stupid,) when I heard somebody cough from behind me.

"Lieutenant Dearing? Am I disturbing you?"

I looked back to see the Captain standing behind me, a look of worry on her face.

I chuckled and looked down at my uniform.

"It's just Mr. Dearing now," I said sadly, "The voyage is over, my temporary position is ended."

There was a small silence. As I looked back, I noticed that the Doctor wasn't with her.

Finally the Captain sighed and walked towards the stairs, beckoning me to follow.

"Lieutenant," she asked, emphasizing the word slightly, "May I have a word in my Stateroom…privately?"

I glanced back at her before nodding as B.E.N came up the stair case, wiping his now blue eyes on his arm.

"Of Course Ma'am. B.E.N will you take the Wheel? Just keep us straight and steady and inform me when we need to dock."

The robot blinked, "You want me to take the helm?" he asked disbelievingly.

"You are a 'Bio-Electronic-Navigator,' aren't you?"

Realisation dawned in his eyes. "Oh yes of course Lieutenant Danny sir!" he said grabbing the wheel from me as I let go. I sighed as I followed the Captain down to her Stateroom, the sound of B.E.N singing "A pirates life for me," echoing through the Etherium as I did so.

Amelia sighed as she walked through the hole that had used to be her Stateroom door. She had to tell him now, quickly, before it was too late.

She gazed behind her, noticing that the man behind her was a lot more quiet than he usually was. His hands were in the pockets of his trousers, and he looked totally miserable, a picture of sorrow.

She sighed, took a deep breath, before turning to her lieutenant.

"Mr. Dearing," she began, "Before we dock, I need to talk to you about…us."  
He looked up at her, and frowned.

"It's alright Ma'am, I know."

She raised a eyebrow at him.

"Oh?"

Daniel gave her a sad little smile, " I saw you with the Doctor after we escaped. It's not hard to put two and two together."

She looked at him with amazement. No, he didn't know. He had gotton completely the wrong of the stick!

"No, Daniel, you don't understand…"

He held up a hand for silence, "No I understand. Your getting into a relationship with the Doctor. You just wanted to have a quick word so you wouldn't hurt my feelings. It's fine Captain, really."

He didn't understand! He really didn't understand!

She looked away, trying to think of a way to tell him he was wrong. Tell him how she _really_ felt.

She felt a hand press down on her shoulder, and upon looking up she gazed into those dark brown orbs of his, framed behind his glasses.

"Don't worry," he said with a smile, "I'll still be there for you. And I'll always be your friend, even if I will be on Earth."

Her eyes widened, "Your going back to Earth?"

Daniel shrugged, "I have nothing here. No money, no house, no job. I might get bullied a lot my mother and people at College, but I have a roof over my head, food on the table and a job that brings the money in. If we had brought back the treasure, I might have a reason for staying…but we didn't. so I might as well just find a way to…go home."

She cast her eyes down, her ears drooped so low they were flat on her skull.

So he was leaving. She would most likely never see him again, all because he had misread her actions towards Dr. Doppler.

At that moment B.E.N barged into the room.

"We're ready to dock Lieutenant Danny sir! Oh and Jimmy wants to see you. Said something about having a couple of things for you."

Daniel nodded before following B.E.N out of the door.

He paused in the door way, looking back at his Captain for a moment.

"I'm happy for you and Delbert," he said quietly, his expression saying otherwise. He looked like he was going to say something else, then thought against it, before heading out the door without another word.

Amelia held out her hand to stop him, but she was too late, he had already left.

Her arm dropped limply to her side. She had lost him. The most important battle of her life, more dangerous than any Mutiny, and she had lost.

She gazed at the doorway forlornly, closing her eyes to fight back the tears. Suddenly she looked up again, her face determined to make Daniel see sense. She was going to tell him how she felt, if it was the last thing she did!

"Silver wanted you to have this," Jim said simply as he dropped a handful of coins, rings, rubies, sapphires and diamonds into my hand.

I stared at it in disbelief, "The treasure?"

"What he could grab before the Planet blew," Jim said with a smile, "He gave me a handful for mom, so we could rebuild the Inn."

"That's great!" I said a real smile on my face instead of the fake ones I had put on a moment ago.

"Oh, one more thing," he reached into my hand and tickled one of the diamonds. It wiggled and laughed, before suddenly turning into Morph, who proceeded to come up and lick my face happily.

"Silver asked Morph to keep an eye on us," Jim said as Morph made little affectionate noises, "But I'm hopefully going to the Interstellar Academy and there's a no pets rule there. Will you take care of him?"

I sighed as I put the treasure in my pocket, before tickling Morph in my hand.

"Sorry Jim, but I can't. I'm gonna try and get home," I walked past him sadly as I took up the wheel.

Jim looked at Morph disbelievingly before rushing up to join me on the Bridge.

"Your going home?"

I nodded, "I've got nothing here. There's no point in me sticking around."

"But what about the Captain?" He asked earnestly as I pulled up into the designated docking berth, "Aren't you and her…"

"My relationship with Captain Amelia is strictly professional," I said sternly as I completed docking procedures, "Now if you excuse me, I have to go pack my things."

As I walked away, I could feel their disbelieving eyes on my back. I sighed. I thought it would be when it came to the Captain…I guess I was wrong.

Fifteen minutes later, I had packed what little things I had into the bag I had taken. I still wore my old uniform, simply because it seemed a bit silly just to change.

I sighed as I looked around my old room. It didn't look much different then when I had first been shown it. I knew, deep in my heart, that I would miss this place.

As I came out on deck, I saw B.E.N gaze in wonder at the myriad people down below, the Doctor heading down the gangplank towards the Dock below with Jim.

Sighing sadly, I finally got to the top of the gangplank myself, and slowly walked down it.

As I reached the bottom, I saw a happy reunion between Jim, Delbert and Sarah as she hugged them both tightly.

I sighed as I dropped my bag beside me, gazing about at all the other people walking around. The hustle and bustle made me realise how much I would miss this new universe I had dropped into.

Suddenly I felt something grab me by the shoulder. On looking down I realised it was a hand. A white gloved hand.

I sighed mentally to myself. What did she want now?

"Captain I…" I turned around ready to tell her I was fine about her and Doppler, but I never got that far.

No sooner had I turned around, she suddenly pulled me in close to her, bringing her lips to mine in a strong, heartfelt kiss.

I tensed up immediately, half afraid of what she was doing, half out of pure shock of what she was doing, but then I suddenly noticed something. A feeling. A feeling that this was all very…right.

Before my brain could register what my hands were doing, they had come to rest on Amelia's waist as I began kiss her back as I relaxed, while her arms came around my neck.

My mind went numb with pleasure, I had never felt so good in my life. I wanted that feeling to last forever, but unfortunately the kiss finally came to an end.

As we broke apart, arms still entwined, I looked into her emerald eyes, puzzlement evident.

"But…I thought…the Doctor…"

I stopped as she pressed a finger to my lips.

"Daniel, you thought wrong," she said with a smile, "The good Doctor just happened to be the closest living thing to me at the time, so I hugged him. But I wouldn't want to have a relationship with him, not when I have you,"

I gazed in wonder at her, did I think she meant what she was saying?

She gazed at me intently, before inching closer to my face again, and whispering three simple words:

"I love you,"

Those three little words set my senses aflame as she pulled me close and kissed me fervently once more.

This kiss was interpreted however when Morph decided to have another shot at making me keep him.

I laughed as the little pink blob I was so fond of tired to squeeze between me and Amelia, making us both laugh.

"You know," Amelia said thoughtfully as I stroked Morph and gave him some attention, "I could use a First Officer on my ship, what do you say Daniel? You up for it?"

Jim, Delbert and Sarah came up behind us, smirks evident on their faces.

"It looks like you got at a few reasons to stay Dan," Jim said quietly, "You got a job, I'm sure you could live with the Captain, and I'm sure you can help her bring the money in and put food on the table. So that's all the things on the list! So you gonna stay or not?"

"Gonna stay or not?" Morph squeaked before turning into the Captains hat and falling onto my head.

I gazed up at him, then to Jim, then Delbert, then Sarah, then finally Amelia, who looked the most hopeful of them all.

I sighed as I looked into her mesmerizing green eyes, before giving her a small smile.

"I can't say no to you," I said with a small chuckle, "Alright, I'm staying!"

A cheer rose up from our group as Morph shot up into the air turning into a small fireworks display, before coming down and licking my face over and over, emitting a lot of excited squeaking as he did so.

I sighed happily as two burly Police robots came to take the pirates away, while B.E.N overenthusiastically greeted Sarah. I gazed at Amelia happily. For the first time ever, I felt like I belonged somewhere. And that somewhere, was at Amelia's, my Captain's, side.


	14. Chapter 13: Hateful Reunion, TearfulGood...

**CHAPTER 13**

**HATEFUL REUNION, TEARFUL GOODBYE**

I sighed as the Longboat touched down on the Earth.

It looked almost exactly as I left it. The countryside was still here, the Bar was still here, even the bus stop was still a mess, although it looked like someone had managed to remove the remains of the mast from Billy Bone's ship from the wreckage.

I sighed as my gaze wondered over to the ashes of the bush were I laid Billy Bone's body, before blasting him to smithereens with his own ships cannons.

Somehow, I was glad that there was nothing left of the bush, or Bones. It would have been hard to explain to the authorities what the charred remains of a turtle were doing in the middle of Dorset, about as hard as it was going to be to explain to my mother I was engaged to a feline.

It had now been six months to the day since I had left Earth. It had only taken three months in Dry-Dock, but now the repairs to the Legacy finally been completed.

Now, the Longboat's and launch bay walkways replaced, cables refitted, new sails and masts, new doors and windows, the hole in the floor of the Stateroom repaired, the hull fixed up and a new coat of paint later, The R.L.S Legacy now sat in orbit above earth, just out of range of satellites and the International Space Station, but just in Longboat range.

Amelia gazed over the land as I got down from the longboat. Her injuries had been, as I had suspected, a slight fracture of the ribs, small but painful. Now she stood at the tiller of the Longboat, clothed in her usual Captain's uniform, making sure that it was well hidden in some nearby trees.

I myself hadn't changed a lot either. The major difference in my appearance was the fact that glasses no longer sat atop my nose. When we returned home, with the help of a bit of Silver's treasure, my eyesight had been returned to normal via laser eye surgery, meaning I didn't need my glasses any more.

I still wore the original uniform given to me by Amelia, a new hat replacing my original. It was like Arrow's, but it was dark blue, with gold lining.

"So this is where you lived huh?" I heard Amelia say behind me, "I like it, no wonder you wanted to come back."

I smiled slightly at the compliment, gazing around.

"Yeah it's something special alright. Too bad my Mother had to spoil it!" I mused as I gazed towards the King's Ransom in the distance.

I sighed as Morph came down beside me following my gaze.

"Should I wait here?" I heard Amelia call.

I turned and smiled at my Wife-to-be.

"I would advise it," I said mildly, "The people of this planet haven't made First Contact with an alien species yet. I'm gonna have a hard time explaining you. With respects _Ma'am_, you don't look at all human."

"And you love me because of it," she said slyly as she dropped down next to me.

I smiled sweetly and kissed her swiftly on the cheek, "And I love you because of it."

She smiled as me and Morph headed towards the Bar, to say my final goodbyes to my mother.

The Bar looked exactly as I had left it, perhaps a little dustier.

It was practically empty when I got there, Morph pretending to be a part of my watch so he wouldn't arouse suspicion.

In fact, it was empty, save for my Mother at the Bar, a wine bottle in one hand, a glass in the other, looking only slightly sober. Well, it was only lunchtime.

As I opened the door, she looked up from her drunken state, before casting me an evil look when she realised who it was.

"So, you've finally decided to come back, you worthless piece of filth!" she sneered.

I raised an eyebrow as I took off my hat.

"I see I wasn't missed these last six months then," I replied mildly.

"Peh, the Optician came round asking for you," she spat as she poured more wine into her glass, "I told him where to stick it! You were gone, that was all that mattered."

She glanced at my uniform, "Whatcha do? Run away and join the circus?"

I gave her an amused look, "Actually, I ran away, found a map, travelled into outer space, had an adventure, and now I'm the First officer of the R.L.S Legacy, and am due to marry her Captain, Amelia, in two months time, before settling down and having a couple of kids…hopefully none of them with your attitude."

She rolled her eyes at me like I was stupid.

"You think I'm actually gonna believe that?" she sniggered, "What does R.L.S stand for? Royal Loony Sanctuary?"

"No, Royal Light Ship," I replied, "She runs on Solar power."

"And who in their right mind would want to marry you?" she asked snidely, "You have to be the most ugliest man in the college. You're a geek, no one likes a geek. What nitwit would want to marry you?"

"I would want to marry him!"

Upon hearing Amelia's voice I stood to attention, stepping away from the door, allowing the Captain in.

She kept her head low, hiding her facial features below her hat.

"At ease Commander," she murmured as she went by, heading onto the bar. "Mrs. Dearing I presume?"

"Who are you?" she spat as she sloshed more wine into her glass, spilling it over the counter.

"I am Captain Amelia of the R.L.S Legacy, and your future daughter-in-law, and I would kindly ask you not to insult my fiancé. Never in my life have I ever met a more kind and loving man."

She looked back at me and gave me a smile and a wink before turning back to my mother.

Mother gazed at her intently, trying to see what was under the hat, but failing.

She then looked at me and burst out laughing.

"Your joking right?" she said between laughing her head off, "You want to marry this man? You must really be off your rocker. And as for you _Commander,_" she spoke the last word mockingly, "Get that stupid get-up off and go get a mop, this place is filthy!"

I glanced worriedly at Amelia. There was no way she was going like me being ordered to do something by a different person, mother or no mother.

"I would very much like it if you _don't_ order my First Officer around Mrs. Dearing," she said tightly.

"Oh, shut up you bitch!" my mother screamed at her, "There is no way in hell that you could even like my son. He is the most stupid, good for nothing, stuck up man that ever walked the Earth! Now get out of my Bar before I call the Police!"

That was it, the last straw.

Amelia suddenly looked up suddenly, her hat falling off her head as she did so, her Emerald eyes shooting daggers at my mother.

"You take that Back!" she sneered, teeth bared.

Mother almost screamed in shock at what she saw under the hat, falling over as she tried to back away from Amelia's infamous death glare.

"Who…what….what are you?" she managed to get out.

"What I am is of no importance," she said angrily as she removed her right glove, "But _this_ should confirm what myself and Daniel have been trying to say all along.

She pushed her hand in front of my Mothers face, showing her a bright gold ring, embedded in the centre with a single blue Sapphire. The most beautiful one from the remains of Flint's trove that Silver had given me, specially made for Amelia, and Amelia alone.

"Your…your getting married to a cat?" she asked in disbelief.

I shook my head, "No. I'm getting married to the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on," I said with a smile.

She looked up at me as Morph decided to come up from my watch, glaring evilly at my mother.

"Have you said your goodbyes? Because I don't think I want to spend another minute in this godforsaken place!"

I smiled at her.

"I have one more thing to do, you go wait by the longboat, we have one more stop, then back to the Legacy.

She nodded before shooting one more deadly glance at her future Mother-in-Law, before putting her hat back on and stomping out the door, Morph following in her wake.

I smiled to myself as I leaned over the bar to look at my mother, who was still cowering in a corner.

"So, I've said all I wanted to say, So I'll say goodbye now. Goodbye Mother, I won't see you again…ever."

As I left, I suddenly heard my mother scream out to me,

"WHERE TO YOU THINK YOUR GOING?! GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW AND CLEAN THIS MESS UP!!!"

I stopped at the door, and looked back at the woman struggling to get up.

I sighed and turned round to face her one last time.

"Listen _Belinda_," I said sternly, using her first name to make a point, "I am twenty-three years old. I think I can live without taking orders from you all the time. Now I'm only going to say this once. I am leaving you, and you will never hear hind nor hair of me again. Why I had even the thought of visiting you in the first place was beyond me. Maybe because I'm polite, I don't know. The point is, after today, you will never see me again. So Goodbye Mother, and have a nice life."

"DANIEL KENNEDY DEARING!!!" She screeched as I put my hat back on my head, "IF YOU GO THROUGH THOSE DOORS, I SWEAR I'LL HAVE EVERY ARMED FORCE ON THE PLANET SEARCHING FOR YOU!!! YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO GO _ANYWHERE_ CIVILISED EVER AGAIN!!! YOU'LL BE SORRY DANIEL! YOU'LL…BE…SORRY!!!"

I looked back over my shoulder at the woman I had once known as my mother, knowing her threats were empty.

"Then I won't go somewhere on Earth," I said calmly, "If you want me, You'll have to find me out among the stars,"

Then, without looking back, I walked out of the door, my mother screaming my name and insults after me.

Mr. John Clements sighed as he cleaned his stock, it being a quiet day at his opticians. As he did so, he came across a pair like the ones Daniel used to wear. He sighed as he picked them up gazing fondly at the square-rimmed glasses, like they were the only thing he had left of his friend.

He sighed as he put them back, before moving on to the next pair.

He had been really upset when Daniel had been reported missing by his mother, that hateful woman, always bullying her poor son since the day he was born. No wonder his dad left for another woman.

Suddenly his intercom beeped, "M…Mr. Clements?"

He reached over and pressed it.

"Yes Miss. Howard what is it?"

"I just thought you should know…there's a man here to see you, says it's urgent."

Clements sighed, "It's always urgent Miss. Howard."

"Trust me John, you want to see this guy."

Clements rolled his eyes, well, one more minute couldn't hurt.

"Very well, tell him I'll be there momentarily."  
Without wasting time, he quickly walked out of his office. The sooner he got this over with the better.

"Alright Emma where is this guy who wants to see me so bad?"

Mrs. Howard blinked several times, for she had been gazing at their visitor.

Without a word she pointed to a man, who appeared to be dressed in a navel uniform, though one that was severely out of date by several centuries, his 3 point hat blocking his view of his face as he read one of the magazines that they left for people to read.

"Right let's get down to business," John said quickly. No doubt this uniform was some kind of gimmick, "How may I help you Mr….."

"It's Commander actually," the man said in a familiar sounding voice. He stood up, taking off his hat as he did so, "Lieutenant Commander Daniel Dearing," he bowed to the stunned Optician, before smiling broadly, "At your service."

John felt his jaw drop.

"Daniel?"

"The one and only!"

I smiled at the shocked reaction to my being there, though what he did next surprised me no end.

He took me by the shoulders, looking me up and down, before pulling me into a tight hug.

"I thought I would never see you again," I heard him say into tunic, "When your Mother refused to have search parties go look for you, I tried looking for you myself. Where have you been this last Six months?"

I smiled slightly and pulled away from him.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me,"

I chuckled slightly, same old John.

"Alright. Six months ago today I was walking around the village trying to take my thoughts off the fact My mother ripped up Treasure Island…"

"Your Mother ripped up the book I gave you?"

I sighed as I looked out of the window before continuing.

"So I was on my walk when suddenly this ship lands on the road after a fire-fight…"  
I explained the whole story to him as quick as I could, both him and Emma Howard listening with open mouths.

"…Then we escaped through the portal and back to Montressor."

I sighed after finished talking, before waiting for the laughter.

"That was amazing, I've never heard anything like it!" John breathed.

I regarded him with surprise, this Optician never ceased to amaze me.

"So…where are you off to after this?"

"Pardon me?"

John smiled,

"It's obvious that your not going to stick around here. You've just had the adventure like no one on Earth has ever seen! I find it doubtful that you would come back here and start working for your mother again."

I smiled and headed towards the staircase at the back of the shop.

"Follow me John, you too Emma, there's someone I'd like you to meet."

As we reached the roof of the Opticians, I saw Amelia standing proud on the edge of the building, the dying rays of the sun framing her lithe body.

As we approached, she cocked her ear back, before turning her head and smiling as she saw me.

"Daniel, who are your friends?"

I looked at John and Emma's stunned faces at the sight of Amelia's feline features.

I smiled as I introduced John and Emma.

"Captain Amelia, This is John Clements and Emma Howard, my Optician and his Secretary. John, Emma, May I introduce Captain Amelia, Commander of the R.L.S Legacy and my fiancée."

John finally found his voice, before offering her his hand.

"Captain, it's an honour to meet you."

She smiled and shook his hand, "Same to you Mr. Clements, Commander Dearing has told me so much about how you have helped him over the years."

John blinked and looked over his shoulder at me curiously.

"Commander?"

I smiled sheepishly, "I'm the First Officer of the Legacy, and proud of it I might add."

John smiled as he gazed at the Longboat hovering nearby.

"I guess you'll be leaving soon then?"

I looked away suddenly, "Yes I guess we are. But I'll come visit…when I can."

John smiled and put a hand on my shoulder. It made me realise, just how much this man had been like a father figure to me.

"You go have more adventure's Dan. You know what they say:" he glanced over his shoulder at Amelia as she began to prepare the ship for launch, "Love is the greatest adventure of them all."

I smiled and hugged him tightly once again, before turning and hugging Emma.

"I'll let you know when we have kids," I joked with a smile.

"Kids! Kids! Kids! Kids!" Morph squealed from going around my head. I smiled up at him, before getting on board the Longboat. As I did, I noticed Emma was crying slightly.

"I'm going to miss your visits Daniel," she sobbed as John ran down the stairs for some reason.

"Don't worry Emma, we'll see each other again." I called as the Solar Sails powered up.

"Daniel! Wait a moment!"

John suddenly appeared at the top of the stairwell, a leather bound book in his hands.

As the engines began to power up he threw the book into towards us, allowing me to catch it in my hat.

In the front in gold letters, it read:

Treasure Island

By Robert Louis Stevenson.

I blinked and gazed at my old Optician, a look of disbelief in my eyes.

"It was always your favourite book," he called with a smile, "You might as well have this copy!"

I smiled as the Longboat lifted up from its moorings.

I watched as John put a comforting arm around the teary-eyed Emma, as the two of them watched the Longboat prepare for launch.

As the Solar Sail went up, I saluted them both, the book neatly tucked under my arm.

"God's Speed John, and you Emma. I hope that our paths will cross again!"

My two old friends said nothing, they just nodded and waved, as the Longboat shot upwards into the night, back to the Legacy. Back to my new home.


	15. Epilogue: A Year Along, And Love Still P...

**EPILOGUE**

**A YEAR ALONG, AND LOVE STILL PREVAILS**

One year later, and the Benbow Inn was finally rebuilt.

It had taken a lot of work, sweat and tears, but in the end, it was all worth it.

With the Treasure given to him by Silver, The Benbow was now another storey high, and had a large and beautiful garden out the back.

I now lived on the Planet Montressor in a small house near where Delbert lived.

It wasn't the largest house, or the most extravagant, but it was enough for me, Amelia, our three Feline daughters, Catherine, Emma and Maria, and our son, Joseph, a human boy with Emerald green, cat-like eyes.

Right now we were at the Benbow's reopening party, our three daughters in my arms, Joseph in Amelia's, all snoozing peacefully, despite the loud music.

I watched Delbert talking to Sarah about how much Jim had grown since he had joined the Academy (with recommendation from Amelia) while B.E.N, serving in his new job as a waiter and cook, began to dish out slices of cake to the guests. I smiled to myself as I watched the robot balance about 12 slices on his arms and computer panel, wondering what he would be doing now if we hadn't rescued him from Treasure Planet.

I sighed as he came over to offer us some cake, to which I declined, before tickling an ear of Maria, who was waking dozily from her slumber.

I smiled at Amelia with soft eyes, as she lent down to kiss the forehead of Joseph.

"He has your eyes you know," I murmured as our youngest son stirred slightly in his mothers arms.

"I think he has your smile though," Amelia returned, leaning her head on my shoulder slightly, her soft red hair, caressing my cheek.

I smiled to myself, my eyes slowly wondering over to Jim, who had come straight from the Inter-stellar Academy. He sure had changed from the grumpy teen I had met all that time ago. Dr. Doppler had changed a lot as well, from the bumbling astrophysicist, to the calmer, more in control man that now talked with Sarah. Even I, myself, I realised, had changed a lot in more that just looks. When I first 'landed' on Montressor, I had been a tired and fed up College Student, so desperate to get away from my life that I had jumped into a ship I knew nothing about to try and escape. Now, here I sat. three daughters in my arms, my wife leaning on my shoulder with our son, home that made me happy to come home too, and a Job as First Officer of R.L.S Legacy, in my opinion the best ship ever to be sailed through space.

I sighed as I watched a few people get up and begin to dance to the music. Yes my life had certainty changed from the horrible life I had had before, I personally, I think it was a change for the better.

**THE END**

**Turn over to the next page for a preview of The Captain And I 2!**


	16. Final notes and Preview

If you haven't been reading this fic resently, then i surgesst you go back to Chapter 13 and read from there.

below is a "Trailer" for the squel, per peoples encoragement. Enjoy!

* * *

"Preview" 

This Preview is certified PG

Fina: In the days of the Old World, there Six civilisations.

Six Moon Crystals.

Six Gigas.

But unbeknownst to these warring six, a seventh Civilisation watched from a distance.

They created their own Gigas.

Now, The Procyon Armada have found this Machine.

And are using it for their own evil means.

(Silence)

Amelia: That's it...we're dead.

(BIG EXPLOSION)

Deep Voice: Coming January 2005.

Daniel: **"LEGACY CANNON FIRE!!!"**

Deep Voice: Join Daniel and crew as he battles to save his people

Noycorp: MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Deep Voice: with the help of friends old and new.

Jenny: Houston, we have a problem.

Deep Voice: and discover the origins of Treasure Planet itself.

Peter: Escape Pods Away!

Deep Voice: A new chapter in the the Captain and I Saga.

Daniel: "I'll always love you...no matter what happens."

ANOTHER EXPLOSION

Deep Voice: The Captain and I 2: The Battle for Earth.

Destiny, is at hand.

Rated PG-13

End Deep Voice

* * *

A small preview of the sequel to my first fic. Trust me, this is going to be good. 

I'd like to thank all those people who R&R The Captain and I, and I thank in advance anyone else who is going to review this fic in the future. Again I thank you.

Well that's all for The Captain and I folks. Knowing me, I'll probably update it with breaks and stuff like that.

Keep an eye out for the Captain and I 2, coming this new year!

Keep reviewing!

Dearing


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